


The Mermaid Prince

by sunwooluvr



Category: K-pop, The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Basically They're All Magical Creatures, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Human Eric, Inspired by the Little Mermaid, M/M, Other Worlds, Pining, Prince Sunwoo, Slow Burn, Slow Updates, mythical, really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:02:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24958825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunwooluvr/pseuds/sunwooluvr
Summary: "Sunwoo." The boy said, looking directly into Eric's eyes. Eric's face reddened. "My name is Sunwoo.""Sunwoo..." Eric said to himself. The name rolled off of his tongue as if he had said it a million times before. "Even your name is pretty, Sunwoo."The boy, now known as Sunwoo, began to blush. A slight smile earned its way onto his face. "And you?" he asked, blinking his eyes at Eric, "what's your name?""Eric. Eric Sohn. I also go by Youngjae.""Eric, huh. I've never met an 'Eric' before. Or a 'Youngjae.' Or a 'Sohn'." Sunwoo looked up at Eric, eyeing him as if he was some sort of curiosity. How odd. Why do humans have so many names? He thought, tilting his head to the side in confusion.Also known as, a fantasy Sunric au in which Sunwoo is a Mermaid Prince and Eric is the Human he falls in love with.
Relationships: Bae Joonyoung | Jacob/Moon Hyungseo | Kevin, Choi Chanhee | New/Ji Changmin | Q/Kim Younghoon, Kim Sunwoo/Son Youngjae | Eric
Comments: 16
Kudos: 99





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> some sunric because i miss my soulmates :] enjoy ! ill update every week or so. maybe . or whenever i feel like it :]

Eric always felt at peace when he was at the beach. Cotton candy looking clouds drifted above him, so close yet so far out of his reach. He'd reach his hands out to the silky blue sky to touch them, and when he couldn't, he'd quickly put his hand back as a dash of redness would quickly find its way onto his face. He'd look left and right, making sure that no one saw the embarrassing scene that just conspired before him, and when he'd notice that everyone was simply minding their own business, he'd let out a slow sigh of relief.

The way the warm sand hugged his feet felt almost nostalgic to him, as if he had spent a whole lifetime walking those grainy shores that he called his second home. He breathed in the crisp sea salt scent of the ambient ocean breeze, feeling more tranquil with every inhale and exhale. The sea song of the gem-blue waves beside him were like music to his ears, the way the natural noises of the environment managed to blur out the background noise of all the families felt like magic to him. If he focused hard enough, then he'd only hear his thoughts, the breeze, and the waves, as if he was the only person there.

He was sitting on a towel he bought specifically for the beach - he didn't like the idea of bringing one of his own personal bath towels. In addition to that he brought a medium sized umbrella, one large enough to cover him, but small enough so that he wasn't completely hidden from the sweltering rays of the sun. He didn't wanna get burnt, but he _did_ like the sunset orange he'd see on himself whenever he posed for a selfie. He also brought some apples and a soda so that he wouldn't starve or dehydrate. He checked off all of his things mentally. He dug his fingers inside of his towel, feeling the soft cotton around his fingertips. His _towel - check._ He lifted his bag of groceries and looked inside. _Snacks - check. Sunscreen - check. Camera -_ he paused, blinking twice in confusion. He took a deeper look inside his bag of groceries.

"Oh, fuck." He suddenly groaned out loud, whipping the heads of ongoing passerby's towards him. He stood up frantically, dusting the sand off of his shorts, the tiny grains forming a powdery cloud behind him. He put one foot into his flip-flops and then the other, shaking off some sand he felt on the inside his shoe, near the sole. He ran towards his car, feeling the traction of the sand opposing his quick movements. He darted past a family of three, almost bumping into a child's impressive sandcastle. Luckily, he didn't hit them, but he swore he could see that child's life flash before his eyes. "sorry!" He yelled out, giving the child an apologetic wave. 

He internally face-palmed himself. E _ric, you dumbass._ He thought to himself, quickening his pace towards his car. The constant thudding of his flip-flops against the concrete parking lot was starting to hurt. He couldn't handle getting injured again, not when he was only just starting to get busy in life. He tsked at his own stupidness. _Why did you park so far away? For nature my ass. H_ is calves were beginning to burn. He made a note to himself to work on his stamina more. His breaths were beginning to come in short gasps, and the strap of one of his flip flops was beginning to loosen.

_Note to self: no more cheap $1 Walmart flip-flops. Eric Sohn, you deserve better._

Eric paused for a second to look up at the sky. the sun was beginning to set, and the velvety blue that used to cover the entire sky like a blanket was now being replaced by warm hues of orange and pink. From the west, dark clouds were beginning to form, making Eric question whether it was going to rain or not. Either way, he had shit to do, and he planned to get them done, even in a torrential downpour. He could feel the shifting of the sun as it slowly dipped below the horizon. he noticed how the clear-cut shadows of the tree looked beautiful beneath the shade of the branches. Eric's photographer senses were tingling. at this point, he was only a couple feet away from his car, now fumbling to get his keys out of his pocket. He jumped inside of the passengers seat, checking underneath the airbag for the camera that he brought just for today. 

It was his first and favorite camera. the first one that he bought for himself, with his own hard-earned money. He got a job just to save up for it, working part time in a busy cafe downtown for a couple months. He enjoyed his time as a barista, and he made a lot of friends in his customers, but he quit quite recently, as he had to choose between school and work, and in the end he picked school. Some of his regulars and his coworkers teamed up to throw him a goodbye party the other day, with one of the customers saying they weren't coming back there if they couldn't have a cup of Eric's coffee in the morning. He laughed at that, but his manager wasn't entertained, so he was always promised a job there should he ever need one. 

He grasped the camera with both hands, gently placing it back on the seat next to his. After a stroke of pure genius he decided he was gonna drive back and park closer to the beach. The beach would be closing soon, so he couldn't jog for 10 minutes to go back to his spot. He hoped his apple's hadn't gotten rotten yet, and that the rest of his stuff hadn't gotten robbed. Kids these days were weird. They just nabbed anything in sight. Not that he bought anything of particular use (the only thing being his camera but - surprise! - he forgot it in his car). He put the key in the ignition and turned it on, suddenly feeling the gradual coldness of the a/c in his face. The radio was turned onto his favorite station, though a song he couldn't recognize was playing. He lowered the volume to a mere murmur and grabbed the wheel, exiting out of his parking spot as he drove towards the beach. 

He opened the car door and exited, walking over to the other side and repeating the process, carefully closing the side door. He walked over to his spot underneath the umbrella and bent over to pack his stuff up, putting his bag of groceries (which were fine, by the way) inside of the trunk, beside all of the other useless stuff he brought with him regularly. He looked around him and saw all the families he noticed earlier doing the same, with the energetic children that annoyed him earlier now being asleep in their children's strollers. The beach felt serene, with all the hustle and bustle of earlier slowly slowing down. But Eric wasn't done yet. he carried his camera in a case that he bought and strapped it around his neck, ensuring that it didn't fall anywhere.

The sky was now completely dark. the black-charcoal sea rocks glittered in the night sky, creating a shimmering effect that seemed to rival the stars. At this point he was certain the beach was closed and he was trespassing, but he didn't care much. What's the worst that could happen? Who's gonna yell at some kid having fun at a beach at night? He wouldn't have been surprised if he noticed anyone else. But the beach was dead silent, and everyone that was there earlier was now gone. Usually there would be at least a couple star-gazers, but no one was there today. There were barely any clouds too, so it would've been the perfect weather for it. _We_ _ird,_ he thought. All the better for him, though. This meant he had the whole beach for himself. 

Eric walked around the beach, snapping photo after photo of the moonlit night combined with the natural flora of the scenery. He loved how there was a contrast - the stark darkness of the sky combined with the gentle glimmer of the sea-shell filled sand, the tiny molecules shining in the reflection of the moon. The chirping of the birds that lived in the trees and the quiet swaying of the low tide waves were the only noise that he could hear, aside from his own thoughts, that is. It was all peaceful and pleasant - as usual. he took in the beautiful scene before him and smiled, picking up his camera for one last snapshot. 

That was until he heard a loud bang. 

The ground began to shake tremendously. He heard leaves fall off the trees as branches began to tumble towards the ground. Birds were getting disturbed out of their nests, their blood-curling cawing becoming deafening to his ears. They all exited the trees at once, flying away from the scene in panic, leaving their feathers to all fall to the ground. The sand was crumbling together in bunches, almost as if they were being moved by command. The ground beneath him was unstable, but he didn't know what to do.

The trees began to sink into the ground, as if they were overtaken by quicksand. The glimmering rocks that were there before disappeared, leaving behind an empty shore in their wake. The moon itself was hidden, leaving behind a tiny inch of the shining crescent that was once there, encompassing the boy in near complete darkness, with barely an ounce of light to assist him in any way. 

His heart was thumping in his chest. one second, he was getting ready to leave. The next, he falls into an eternal oblivion. What the hell was going on here? He was so shocked that he couldn't even process what just went on. He just stood there, frozen in place, watching fearfully as the beach that he loved so dearly began to fall apart right in front of him, as if he was watching Armageddon happen right before his helpless eyes. 

He quickly shut his eyes. He wanted to fall asleep. he wanted to imagine that this was all a dream, that he must've fallen asleep in his car or something on accident. He was going to wake up to the familiar sight of the leather seats of his old gray convertible and he was gonna make his way back home, probably stopping at a McDonald for a quick snack. after that maybe he was gonna go to Hyunjae or Juyeon's house to play video games and complain about how much school work they had over break. To Eric, this _had_ to be a dream. 

But he opened his eyes, and he was still there, the earthquake was still going on in full force, and yet, he hadn't moved an inch. He tried to get his body to move but he was paralyzed by fear, the fear of the unknown. And right now? All that circumscribed him was the unknown. With ever-shaky hands he attempted to get his phone out of his pocket. He hadn't noticed when it started, but now his whole body was shaking. His phone fell out of his unstable grip and became enveloped by the sand, which appeared to open up and swallow his device. Eric cursed internally, though he was more scared than upset at seeing the carnivorous sand. He swore he was going to pass out. 

As if to make things even worse, the slightly cool mist that surrounded him was replaced by a bitter wind. It wasn't the nice wind that carried the scent of the ocean all along the shore, it was a different wind. One that had to be from afar, because as far as he remembered, no weather reporter predicted a gust _that_ strong for today. He could feel his teeth vibrating as he jerkily brought his arms up to cover his shivering body. His pupils constricted and widened themselves as he tried to adjust to the sudden blackout as well as the freezing weather. 

He was in Hell, he thought. But it was too cold, he considered, to be Hell. Either way, he had to have died. That was the only explanation to whatever he was seeing right in front of him. A wave of regret flew through him, as he thought of his life and how little he had accomplished in his short 20 years of existence. He hadn't graduated college, he barely had a job, he wasn't making a lot of money, he only had two friends, and he'd never even had a lover... A lot of things rushed through his mind, half-formed thoughts dominating the central part of his brain. All he could focus on was regret as his life began to flash before his eyes. His childhood, his teenage years, his very short years as an adult. 

His mind was spiraling, halfway into a descent into insanity, until all of a sudden, it was all silent. 

Suddenly, the shaking stopped. He blinked, and the trees were back, the happy chirping of the bird families returned as well. The shiny rocks were there, accompanied by the moon that was shining just like it was before... whatever the hell that was. He looked down and found his phone on the ground, completely fine, as if he had simply placed it there. The ruckus that was there earlier had simply disappeared, making the blond question whether he truly did dream it all up or not.

In his peripheral vision, a glint caught his attention. He turned towards the glint, walking towards it, as if in a trance. He couldn't tell what it was, but he couldn't stop himself from moving towards it. He felt what seemed like a magnetic pull to the glint. He followed it to the far end of the beach, a part of the area that he hadn't traveled to before. It wasn't as developed as the rest of the land, and it was quite hidden away from civilization, so he was scared to travel there in fear of something happening to him. But here he was, walking through there shamelessly. 

The glint suddenly stopped, making Eric stop as well. It looked towards him, as if it was making sure he was following. The glint, now transformed into a ball of light, drifted up into the air, swaying slowly into the ocean. Eric felt compelled to follow, and so he did, making heavy steps towards the ball of light. He could feel his body getting lighter, the heaviness that was there earlier seeming to fade away. The ball had so much _warmth_ accompanied to it, and Eric felt that it had to contain the tiniest bit of normalcy. It felt reliable, comfortable. even though it was guiding him towards the cold, wide ocean. He felt that he could trust it to guide him somewhere safe.

He followed the ball of light towards the ocean, flinching as the cold water made contact with his clothes. The icy touch of the water felt like the press of a needle to him, but he had to keep trekking on. His mind was now empty of all the thoughts from earlier, having been replaced by the primitive desire to _follow this ball of light wherever it takes me._

He was now neck deep in the water, almost fully enveloped by the deep, dark sea. But he had to keep moving. This was all that occupied his mind. Over and over again, this thought cemented itself into his brain, as if it were coded into him. _F_ _ollow it. Follow it._ Follow _it._ He heard a voice speak inside his mind. What was he to do other than agree? He was almost close to it, it was almost in reach. He reached his arms out, eagerly pulling every muscle to come into touch with the light...

"Stop!" yelled a voice, bringing Eric out of his daze. The ball of light quickly dissipated into thin air, leaving Eric stranded in the middle of the ocean, confused and wet. He looked down at his clothes - gasping at the sight. Was he about to... drown himself? Why was he suddenly in the ocean? Last thing he remembered was seeing something shiny far away. _What happened after that.. H_ e tried remembering, but thinking gave him a headache, and a throbbing pain began to form in his temples, he groaned and held his head up as a wave of nausea swam through his body. An electric pain hid behind his eyes and he now struggled to stay afloat, with the new pain in his head and the violent throbbing in his ears taking full control of his whole body. He began to sink, sink like the trees he swore sank into the sand earlier.

Even in his delirium, Eric swore he could hear a voice. "Fuck.. what do I do now." it said, an exasperated sigh escaping from his mouth. Eric heard him mumble under his breath, not nice things, but he could understand him nonetheless. "Dumb human. Now I've gotta take you back..." Eric felt a tug on his shoulder, and suddenly, he was floating. He wasn't moving himself, though. It was almost as if someone was holding him, dragging him through the water. He opened his eyes, and lo' and behold, he saw someone tugging him by the collar of his shirt. Though he thought he was seeing doubles. 

"Are there two of you?" he asked, his mind still spinning. 

For a while, he heard nothing. As if the other person was hesitating on whether they should speak or not. "...No. it's just me here." 

"Oh." Eric replied, still in delirious pain. "I thought I saw two of you, but it's just you, huh." 

The other person didn't reply, instead humming in acknowledgement at his statement. He held onto him for what felt like hours, or nights, even, but to Eric's surprise, being dragged by the collar like a dog didn't feel all that bad. He felt kinda bubbly, actually, if he ignored his migraine that was only getting worse and worse. The rhythm of blood pounding through his head sounded like some sort of sick symphony.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the person finally let go of Eric, placing him on the ground gently. Eric couldn't see him very well, but he could see that his hair was bright magenta, a strange color, he thought, but a cool one. He saw the person fumbling with some sort of item. The person reached his hand inside of a bag, picking out a tiny cube. Eric didn't know what it was, but it looked like a tiny cube of sugar, similar to the ones he used to request his mom put in his tea when he was younger. He smiled at the nostalgic memory, earning a raised eyebrow from the other boy. The boy shrugged it off and raised the blond a little, putting a hand on his back, allowing him to sit up. He placed the cube into his mouth, handing him a cup of water to drink it down. Eric grabbed the cup with shaky hands, and the other boy sighed as he brought the cup to the blond's mouth. 

Eric gulped it all down and closed his eyes as a hint of sleepiness crept upon him. the magenta haired boy carefully put him back down, searching around the room for a blanket to cover him with. 

"Goodnight, human." he said, watching Eric with kind eyes as he descended into a peaceful slumber.

It was morning now, and Eric awoke with a gasp. His eyes snapped open, and he was covered in a cold sweat. His heart was pounding. He breathed in and out, allowing himself to catch his breath. He looked around the room and froze - this was definitely _not_ his bedroom. He was lying in a cave, for one. A cold, empty rock cave. He was surrounded by various rock formations, and while they certainly looked beautiful to the blond photographer, _this was not where he remembered being._ He panicked and lifted the covers off of him (covers?). He tried to remember everything that happened last night, but all that came to mind was the shiny thing he saw at the beach. And the weird earthquake. 

Suddenly, he remembered. The earthquake. His things. He quickly patted his pockets for his things, and he found.. nothing. No phone, no camera, no keys, nothing. It was all gone. H looked around the cave to see if they were here, and when they weren't, he slumped down on the ground, a lump having formed in his chest. The camera that he worked months for. The phone that had all his favorite memories on. All gone. He wanted to cry, but he wasn't sure he remembered how. 

A voice interrupted his thoughts. "you're awake?" it said, a hint of worry lacing every word, every syllable. 

Eric quickly turned towards the source of the voice, And what he saw left him at a loss for words.

"H-hello...?" He stuttered, slowly crawling towards the person in front of him. He saw a boy, who looked to be around his age. He had bright fuchsia colored hair, and it looked all natural. His skin was a warm sun-kissed honey, and his eyes looked large and welcoming. He had the prettiest brown eyes the blond had ever seen. His hair was curly and messy - in a good way, as if styled by the sea breeze. He was, in all actuality, the most attractive person Eric had seen in his whole life. He was lying on the edge of the cave, his arms stretched out on top of the rock, his head lying on the backside of his hand. The rest of his body was engulfed in water, leaving only the top half of body in view.

"Hi." said the pretty boy, giving out his hand for Eric to shake. For a minute rice just stared at his hand. _even his hand is pretty.._ he whispered out loud, earning a laugh from the other boy. And _oh my god, was that not the cutest laugh Eric had ever heard in his entire life._

Again, the boys voice interrupted him. "Are you gonna shake my hand, or are you gonna just leave me hanging?" He seemed amused by the blond, almost entertained. The friendly smile that was on his face was worth a million dollars, Eric thought. He eagerly shook his hand, to which the pink haired boy grabbed him by the arm. Eric gasped in surprise as he was pulled into the water, feeling a splash of water explode all around them. Eric's clothes had just gotten dry, but he was yet again. He was about to complain when he saw the grin on the other boy's face, to which he quickly shut up. 

"What was that for?" Eric asked, pulling himself back up on the cave. He crawled inside and sat beside the boy. The boy shrugged his shoulders and giggled, "Just because."

"By the way," Eric started, earning the attention of the magenta haired boy, "You never told me your name."

The boy paused before he spoke. Eric could see the hesitation in his eyes, one that made his question whether he should've asked. He wasn't sure if he asked the wrong question or not, and was about to tell him that he didn't need to speak if he didn't want to. 

"Sunwoo." the boy suddenly spoke, looking directly into Eric's eyes. Eric's face reddened. "My name is Sunwoo."

"Sunwoo..." Eric said to himself. The name rolled off of his tongue as if he had said it a million times before. "Even your name is pretty, Sunwoo." 

The boy, now known as Sunwoo, began to blush. A slight smile earned its way onto his face. "And you?" He asked, looking up at eric, "what's your name?"

"Eric. Eric Sohn. I also go by Youngjae."

"Eric, huh. I've never met an 'Eric' before. Or a 'Youngjae.' Or a 'Sohn'." Sunwoo looked up at Eric, eyeing him as if he was some sort of curiosity. _how odd._ _why do humans have so many names?_ he thought, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Really?" Eric mused. "It's a common name where I come from. I know a bunch of 'Eric's. 'Sunwoo', though? I've never heard of that name. It's beautiful. It suits you." Eric beamed from ear to ear.

Sunwoo smiled back and looked off into the distance. Something from afar caught his eyes, and the warmth Eric saw in him earlier was suddenly gone, now replaced by a look of pure coldness that made shivers run down Eric's spine. Sunwoo's entire demeanor changed, and he went from looking like pure sunshine to being the embodiment of fear in a second. Eric subconsciously crawled back, only pausing when he noticed the slightly hurt look on the other boy's face. A deadpan covered his face, unfitting of his soft facial features.

"Eric, it was really nice meeting you," he began, a hint of ice in his voice, "but I need you to hide. N _ow."_ he sounded serious. very serious.

"Go farther into the cave. now. i'll find you in a little bit." he pleaded. Sunwoo lifted his hand, and with a snap of his fingers, the cave behind him was suddenly illuminated with a warm, fiery light. Fire torches like the ones from the old villages back home covered every foot or so of the cave, descending far back into what looked like eternity. Sunwoo gave him one last push before he shooed him away, a desperate look in his eyes. "Eric, go. I'll tell you everything you wanna know later."

Eric didn't know what was happening, but for some reason, he trusted the boy, so he stood up, and grabbed one of the torches from the wall. He took another one just in case. he looked down at the cave, and looked back at Sunwoo, who seemed to be waiting for him to begin his trek.

"...You sure you'll tell me everything I wanna know?" Eric asked, uncertainty lacing every word he spoke. 

"Sunwoo groaned out loud. "I'll tell you everything and more just - _Jesus Christ -_ go already!" he snapped his fingers once more and the entrance to the cave quickly closed, as if by magic. He heard the cave settle as rocks crumbled from the ceiling, but other than that, he was met by complete silence, excluding the fastened breathing of the cute boy behind the rocky doors. He could hear him as clear as day. Especially the fast beating of his heart. _H_ _e was scared._ _but why? Maybe he was lost, too._ Eric thought. 

Eric didn't wanna know. he trusted the boy enough to tell him everything later, even though he had just met him. There was something trustworthy about Sunwoo, and Eric couldn't put his finger on it. though he doesn't think he'd try to harm him. At least, not on purpose. Sunwoo seemed too nice for that.

Well, maybe nice wasn't the word to use to describe Sunwoo. but he definitely seemed harmless, at least, to Eric.

So after a lot of thinking, Eric followed his gut. he held onto his torches and entered the cave, using the torches as a guide as he stepped on the unstable rocky area. In one corner, he felt a puddle, a collection of rainwater, perhaps, while he stepped into some mud a couple feet away. He hated the moist atmosphere, but he had to brave it, for some reason. He'd know in a little bit.

What eric didn't hear was the sigh of relief that came from the fuchsia haired boy. With his powers, he could feel every step Eric made, and he was glad to see that Eric had gotten far enough to be away from the other mermaid's reach. _T_ _hey shouldn't be able to sense him from here,_ he thought to himself, wiping a stripe of sweat off of his forehead. He dove into the sea and joined them, bobbing his head into the background of their party, trying to blend in as if he had never left. 

"How kind of you to re-join us, Sunwoo." one of the mermaids said, obvious sarcasm in her tone. Thank _god their party was moving away from the cave._

Sunwoo rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my dad. Go take it up with him if you want me out." Venom laced the edge of his hardened words. "I'd want nothing less than to be away from all of you." He practically hissed at her, the two of them raising their hands in battle stance.

"Ladies - ladies! And Sunwoo! Now's not the time." Said another voice. a kinder, less apathetic voice. It belonged to the leader of the pack, someone who Sunwoo hated slightly less, though he still held a burning hatred for most of the mermaids. _M_ _ost._

_"_ Last night, we noticed a human entered our waters." A hush fell upon the mermaids.

"They seem to be lost, we couldn't find them near the shore." he looked suspiciously across the group of mermaids, as if silently looking for someone who looked guilty, "So keep an eye out for them. If any of you see the human, make sure to notify me. We need them out of our territory, and we'll use any means to ensure they never return." Sunwoo gulped. _Maybe I shouldn't have saved him.._

"Get it?" Sunwoo was snapped out of his daze when heard a resounding "got it." He replied quieter and later than the others, earning a push from one of the older mermaids. He pushed them back, to which they just huffed and cross their arms. 

"aAright. if everyone's clear, then you're all free to go. But remember! Human on the loose. Be careful, and keep an eye out." He took his gaze away from the crowd and centered it on Sunwoo. "Especially you, Sunwoo."

Sunwoo pointed at himself. "Me?" he froze. _H_ _ave they discovered Eric already? Fuck._

"Yes. Your dad wants us to be extra careful with you. If you get even a little bit hurt, all of us are gonna be turned into tuna. Make sure to stay safe." As the other mermaids began to break apart and make their ways home, the leader of the pack stayed with Sunwoo. Today's meeting was just the same old talk. Nothing new. For once, he was glad. 

"...I know, sir." Sunwoo whispered, eyes on the ground. He didn't wanna look up at the man and give him the satisfaction of just the slightest bit of eye contact. That's how much his hatred pulled through.

A grin stretched across the pack leaders face. "Well, so long you know. I'm off, then! See you tomorrow, Sunwoo." He brushed his hand through Sunwoo's curly hair, leading the younger male to swat his hand away in disgust. The leader swam away, leaving Sunwoo to his own thoughts. He looked left and right for anybody who could see him before he quickly dove underwater, swimming back towards the cave that held the human. He hoped he was okay, and that no one got to him yet.


	2. The Warlock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i uploaded this a lil bit early bc i just couldnt wait lol
> 
> if ur still here heyyyyy i appreciate you! :) enjoy !! :D

In a dark corner of the cave, a bat flew out from underneath a ledge, zooming past Eric and narrowly missing his head. "Fuck!" He screamed out loud, flinching at the sudden noise and emitting an echo that never seemed to end as his every movement reverberated throughout the rocky cavern. He held back the urge to flee and held the torches in a death grip, taking careful steps as he trudged deeper and deeper into the cave. He didn't wanna accidentally step in a hole and die, but that would be the most normal thing to have happened to him so far, he thought. He held his chest in fear and reluctantly let go once he realized it was simply just a bat.

He could hear the steady drip-drop of water from a couple meters away. It was the same quiet rhythmic melody he'd heard at the beginning of the cave, and he was beginning to question whether it was following him or not, however wild that sounded. 

_Should I just... keep going..?_ He asked himself as he passed a tiny puddle, making a small hop to avoid stepping in it. _Maybe I should stop here and chill for a little bit._ He heard his stomach growl, and he reached into his pocket for an apple, sighing in annoyance when he remembered how all of his things were lost. _This sucks._ He took a seat near the wall, sitting upright and leaning on the callous stone. He placed the torches down gently by him, making sure they didn't get anywhere near the gusts of wind that flew by him sometimes. They were his only source of light here, and the wall of torches that Sunwoo summoned were far gone, leaving only a distant glint in their wake.

He was surrounded by what he thought were hundreds of animals, many of them bats and birds and insects which he could not see. The cave was cold, and there was a constant breeze that whizzed all around him. As he descended deeper into the cavern it only got colder, and his wet clothes were getting way too sticky for his tastes. He held his torches close to him, praying that the flickering blazes were enough to keep him warm. 

For a while, everything was quiet, and it was just Eric, the hundreds of animals watching him, (he said hello out loud, but no one responded) and his two little torches, until suddenly, it wasn't. Just like earlier, Eric felt a sudden breeze fly past him. At first he thought it was a bat - he'd seen plenty of them so far, and they always managed to make him jump. But this time, the presence _spoke._

"Human?" a voice said, scaring the shit out of the blond. Eric jumped and fell back, crawling backwards towards the wall in fear. He held out a torch in retaliation, pointing it at random spots in the cavern. "I-I have a torch!" He cried, his voice echoing unnaturally, "And I'm not afraid to use it!" 

"...." 

Quietly, the voice spoke. "I'm not here to harm you." Eric eyed the direction the voice came from suspiciously. He could hear it coming from every corner of the cave - as if it was coming from every possible direction. How could he not be scared? "Prove it." He said, gaining a sudden burst of confidence. 

Eric blinked and it was gone, but he swore he saw the space in front of him get brighter. He blinked again and it was even more brighter than before. He blinked one more time and there was a full person in front of him, seemingly having materialized out of nowhere. In front of him was now a person, or what looked like a person, and they were holding their hand out, as if to help Eric stand up. He stared at the hand before grabbing it, flinching slightly when the person carried him up as if he was weightless. 

"I'm sorry if I scared you." The voice said, it's voice layered with kindness. Eric could hear it a lot more clearly this time. In front of him was a young male, probably a little bit older than him. He had pink hair and soft brown eyes, filled with so much warmth that Eric wondered whether he could ever do any wrong. He was wearing a pearl necklace on his neck and countless jewels on his wrist, diamonds and rubies so bright and colorful that the shine decorated the gray cave with the beautiful reflections of the jewels.

He was wearing a tight white blouse, with ripped white trousers to match. The cuffs of his pants were especially ripped, as if they were bitten off by sharks. _Odd,_ Eric thought, _but he looked cool._ Wait a second. _Odd?_

Eric furrowed his brows, suddenly remembering that people don't normally just appear out of thin air. "What.. are you...?" He asked, slowly backing away. "And how did you get here? First you were just a sound, and then the next second you're," Eric motioned at the space in front of him, "right in front of me. How did you do that? And where am I? And where did that one dude go? And-" 

The voice held his hand out in front of him, instantly shutting the blond up. "You can stop talking now."

A pale red crept onto Eric's face as he brushed the back of his head with his hand. "Oh. Sorry. It's a habit." He replied, chuckling to himself. The pink haired boy snickered in response. He raised his hand and snapped, and the cavern suddenly lit up. Eric awe'd in surprise at the act of magic, and then at the cavern they were in. The blond thought it was just a dark, moist grey enclave, with nothing but bats eyeing his every move, but it was actually large and wide, filled with various rock formations that seemed to stretch on and on for _miles._

"Whoa," he gasped out loud, looking up at the beautiful patterns that decorated the wall. To his right were images of animals frolicking together, of which he identified giraffes and rhinos. They were a faded red color, and beneath him were crudely drawn humans. He walked up the drawings, slowly reaching out to touch them in amazement. These had to be thousands of years old. Prehistoric, even. He'd always read about ancient rock drawings in class, but he never thought he'd ever see one in real life. They looked just like the Lascaux cave drawings in France, which he had seen only on his laptop.

He looked to his left and identified what looked to be a stampede. Unlike the other paintings, these weren't just a tired red color, but they were also orange, white, and brown, making every single cow drawn stand out. He marveled at these paintings, grabbing his pocket to look for his phone so he could take a photo. His mood instantly dampened when he did so, as he slowly rested his arms back at his side. "What's wrong?" Asked the person, his eyes steeped in genuine worry. 

"I lost a lot of things precious to me." Eric replied, the excitement in his voice visibly gone. "I lost everything, actually. Even myself." He motioned towards himself and the ground. "I don't know where I am." 

The other boy nodded his head. "I see." 

"You're in The Sphere." 

Eric drew his brows together. He rubbed his chin, and slowly nodded, as if he knew what The Sphere was. 

"Of course. The Sphere."

"What the fuck is The Sphere?" 

The other boy frowned, a look of puzzlement crossing his face. "Where do I start..." He mumbled to himself, pacing back and forth. He raised a finger in a sort of light-bulb moment. "The Sphere is sorta like Earth!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"Sorta?" Eric questioned, head tilted to the side.

"Yes. You're not on Earth right now." 

Eric clicked his tongue. "Great. I'm not surprised. If this was Earth, I'd be at home right now, stuffing my face with Hyunjae's food." 

"Hyunjae?" asked the boy. 

Eric waved him off. "Don't worry about it." 

The boy walked over to Eric, bringing his face close to Eric's. _Too close._ "Can I help you..?" Eric sputtered, hiding his face in his hands, his blush from earlier gradually returning. The other boy put a hand on his chin as he inspected Eric's face carefully. "You're really a human?" he inquired, circling around the blond. "You look just like me." He poked the blond's back, making him squeak. 

Eric coughed, fidgeting around some to regain his composure. "Y-yeah. I'm about as human as it gets." 

"What about you?"

The boy raised his head and snapped once more, and all of a sudden, bright pink sparkles manifested around Eric. The sparkles circled them in a stair-like motion, similar to that of a DNA helix. The two of them began to _levitate._ Eric's feet slowly lifted off of the ground, followed by the pink haired boy, who still seemed to be inspecting him carefully. He watched Eric's every movement, almost as if to see what move he would make next. Eric's body felt light. Too light. 

He screamed and panicked, as any same person would if they were to suddenly start floating in air. He hurriedly closed his eyes, keeping his arms to his side. _Put me down, put me down, put me down,_ he chanted under his breath, holding his head in his hands. He was a couple of meters in the air now. He moved his hands slightly, allowing him to see from the tiny slit between his fingers. He screamed, again, as he fidgeted in air. The ground look so far away. He was frantically waving his limbs around, unable to maintain a steady balance. He was falling forwards and backwards, all while the other boy stood still, watching the blond in amusement. 

"Is this funny to you?" Eric whined, his vision skewed and turned upside down as he struggled to stand upright.

The other boy laughed. "I've never seen someone who couldn't levitate. That's easier than breathing. You're a wonder." He snapped one more time and Eric froze, screaming even more as he began to fall. He landed with a thud in the boy's arms, bridal style, and he put him down gently. Eric patted his clothes and held onto the wall, grateful that he could now feel it with his whole body. "Never do that." He let out between pants, hands on his knees, "Ever again." 

"Chanhee." The boy said, giving his hand out once more. Eric turned his head towards him. "I'm sorry?" He replied, shaking his hand. "That's my name. My name is Chanhee, and I'm a warlock." 

"Well no shit." Eric hurled back, pulling his hand back. "At this point I wouldn't be surprised if you said you were God." 

"I'm glad that you think so highly of me, human." 

Eric rolled his eyes. "Anyways, Chanhee, what are you doing here?" 

Chanhee put his hands on his hips. "Well, I came in here to look for a certain creature that was on the loose. It was described as about 200cm tall, with huge red eyes and a large, pointy nose. Also it could hex anyone in sight, and it's hobbies include eating children for lunch." 

Eric's vision darkened. He whipped his head back and forth, a look of alarm spreading on his face. "You mean to tell me a thing like _that_ was in here with me this whole time?!"

Chanhee nodded his head.

Eric's voice got louder as the panic began to spread throughout his body. A shiver crawled up his spine. " _Jesus Christ -_ why didn't you tell me earlier?! Fuck. I need to get out of here. We made all this commotion too... fuck." 

Chanhee opened his mouth. "You see, that's the thing." He started, turning his head towards Eric, "I found the beast."

A grin stretched across the blond's face. "That's great! Where?"

Suddenly, Eric found a finger pointed directly at him. "It's right in front of me." 

A blanket of quietness covered the two of them. 

Eric pointed at himself, to which the pinkette nodded. " _Me?"_ he asked, his tiny voice filled with curiosity and wonder.

"Yes, you. You're the beast I'm supposed to hunt down." 

Eric was shocked. So shocked, in fact, that he didn't know what to do or say to Chanhee. After a while of standing there and waiting for Chanhee to tell him that he was just joking, he formed a response. "I'm not what you described at all though?" Chanhee agreed, walking over to Eric, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can see that."

"I'm not sure why they told me that.. Are you sure you're not a huge ugly monster in disguise? I can't sense a hint of magic on you, though, so that's out of the picture."

"You're a conundrum, human." 

Eric was quiet again. He was just a normal college student. Broke, hardworking, and quiet. And in one day, he found himself in some alternate universe - one where magic existed and he was being _hunted._ "Are you okay?" Chanhee asked, bringing Eric out of his self-induced pitiful daze. "I'm doing amazing, actually."

"Wait." Eric spoke, taking the boy's hand off of his shoulder. "If you're supposed to be hunting me, then does that mean you're gonna..." He gulped. "Kill me or something?" Chanhee shook his head fervently, his eyes widening in surprise. "No! Absolutely not. I was never planning on harming you, even if you were a giant child-killing beast." 

_Well that's reassuring..._

"Then what are you gonna do to me?" 

Chanhee shrugged his shoulders. "You turning out to be _underwhelmingly normal_ is a complete wrench in my plans, human. I don't really know what I'm gonna do." 

"And if I was a giant child-killing monster...?"

"If that was the case then I was planning on taking you to my house so I could do some magic experiments on you. With your permission, of course. I'm no brute." The thought made a shiver run up Eric's spine. He wasn't sure how Chanhee would've gotten his permission on that, and he didn't wanna ask. "Let's be glad I'm just really boring, then." Eric laughed awkwardly, to which Chanhee did the same. 

Suddenly, Chanhee raised his hand, and all the lights from earlier were whooshed away by a gust of wind. He raised a finger to his mouth, physically telling Eric to quiet down. Eric got the memo, and he stopped laughing. From afar, Eric thought he could hear a noise, and judging from Chanhee's reaction, the warlock could, too. "...It seems we've been discovered," He said, protectively putting his arm out in front of Eric. "I'll figure something out. Just... don't move. Any movement, and this could all be undone."

"Can I like, breathe?"

Chanhee shook his head, his eyes still locked on the figure in the distance. "No, hold it in for a little bit." He turned his attention away from the figure and looked at his hands, taking off one of the rings on his finger. It had a gorgeous red ruby-like jewel clasped inside of a velvety gold band, and the gold and jewel combined looked like it was well worth Eric's whole college tuition. He held the ring in his hands for a bit before he raised it up to eye-level, closing one eye to see it more carefully. "This is it, I think." He said to himself as he turned towards Eric. "This might hurt, but don't worry. You won't actually be in any pain."

Eric raised his eyebrow. "Huh?"

Chanhee directed the ring towards Eric. A gust of red powder flew out from it, covering Eric in a cloud of pink. Eric coughed, waving away the powder. "What the hell was that?" He asked, halfway through a coughing fit. "Don't move!" Whispered Chanhee. "Remember? Don't even breathe."

Eric froze. He didn't have anything to lose from listening to the all-powerful scary pretty warlock. 

The figure was getting closer and closer, to the point where Eric could hear it's every move. It's footsteps seemed familiar, for some reason. He didn't move an inch and held his breath, even though he was always bad at that. He even had trouble blowing balloons at parties, something the children regularly made fun of him for. 

"...Chanhee?" Eric heard, still not moving. "Is that you?" 

"Oh! Sunwoo!" Chanhee quickly put the ring back on his finger. He ran towards Sunwoo, enveloping the red head in a smothering hug. "It's been so long! How are you, Sunwoo?" He pet him on the head, something the red-head enjoyed, as he mewled into his touch. "I'm normal."

"The pack's getting real annoying, though." 

Chanhee laughed at that. "I can imagine. Is the leader still a giant asshole?"

"Oh god." Sunwoo groaned, pressing a finger to his temples, "You know him? He's the worst. He always claims he wants the best for me, but I just think he's afraid of my dad." 

"Speaking of your dad..." Chanhee looked down at Sunwoo. "Your tail. You talked to the witches?" Sunwoo nodded, looking down at his two legs in content. "Don't tell him, but I needed them today." 

Chanhee brought his hand to his lips, locking his lips as if with a key. "As always, your secret is safe with me." 

"What brings you here, though?" 

Sunwoo's expression faded. He looked at the ground, unsure on what to say. "I.. Well. It's a lot."

"I've got time." 

Sunwoo checked left and right, inspecting the cavern for any possible listeners. He motioned towards himself, and Chanhee brought his head down, leaning in so that Sunwoo could whisper in his ears. "I found a human today." Chanhee pretended to be shocked. "A human!?" He gasped, covering his hand with his mouth. "Shh!" Cried Sunwoo, covering the other's mouth, to which Chanhee quieted down. "A human?" He repeated, this time quieter.

"Yes. A human." 

"...Where?"

"He was lost in the sea at first, then I brought him here. I heard the pack coming towards us, so I told him to go into the cave. I protected him, Chanhee. I'm a felon." 

"..Why'd you protect him?"

Sunwoo blushed. "I don't know, but I just couldn't watch him die."

Chanhee smiled. "You can move now, human." He began, putting his arms around Sunwoo. Eric emerged from the cloud of smoke, a slight burn in his eyes as the powder made contact with his pupils. He rubbed it off, but that seemed to make it worse. 

He waved towards the boy, affection lacing his voice. "It's nice seeing you again, Sunwoo." 

Sunwoo looked at Eric, then back at Chanhee. "Eric -you - he - what - what?" He sputtered. 

"Chanhee, what's going on?" 

Chanhee laughed. "It seems we're both felons, because I also protected him. Eric, it is? I don't think you've formally introduced yourself to me."

"Oh. Right." He started, putting his fist in his palm. "My name's Eric. And I'm a human." 

"Well. Like I said earlier, I'm a warlock. Specifically, I work for the mermaids, directly under the king. So Sunwoo here -" 

Sunwoo gave him a sharp look ad a slight nudge. Chanhee stopped talking.

"Anyways, yeah. I work for the mermaids." 

"So... Mermaids are real?" Eric asked, looking up at the warlock. He nodded. "Mermaids are very real. You'll see plenty of them if you went outside. This is mermaid territory we're in, after all." 

"And Sunwoo?" Eric asked, turning his attention to the red head, "what are you?" He remembered the trick he performed a couple hours earlier.

"Oh uh - I'm -" He looked at Chanhee for confirmation. "I'm a... warlock. Yeah. Like Chanhee." Eric's face lit up. "So that thing you did with the torches earlier, and when you made a door out of rock for the cave, that was all your magic? Sunwoo nodded. 

"That's so cool." Sunwoo couldn't help how the corners of his mouth raised with a tiny smile. _This human was so endearing._

"So are the two of you working together? To save me." 

Chanhee and Sunwoo shared a look. "I guess we are now." Said Sunwoo. "It's too late to go back now, anyways. Chanhee, do you think you can disguise him? We should get him out of here. Any idea where to go?" 

Chanhee let out a hum. "I might have an idea. He could stay with my roommates and I - you know Younghoon and Changmin, right? I can hide his scent and give him a warlock-y appearance," Chanhee looked at Eric, "But the rest is all on you." Eric gulped. 

"Honestly, I'm kinda scared at what you're implying, but I'm sure it can't be _that_ bad. Yeah?" Eric replied, a naive grin on his face. 

Eric didn't exactly know was what "warlock-y appearance" would consist of. The three of them were now standing in front of a brown cottage. It had green vines hanging off from the sides, with tiny patches of red covering the greenery. Eric reached out to take one of the berries, only to have his hand swatted by Chanhee. "Poisonous." He explained. "You shouldn't try eating those, no matter how good they look."

"They're mostly used for spells and potions." 

"Spells and potions?" 

"Yes. They're quite rare and have a magical volume to them. If you eat one, it's the equivalent of eating a prized diamond in your world, I guess."

Eric knitted his brows. "I mean... I've never eaten a diamond before. They aren't exactly edible."

"See? That's how important the berries are."

A look of understanding came onto Eric's face. "Ah... Got it." Sunwoo snickered at the sight, grabbing a berry off of the vine. He plopped it inside his mouth, exaggerating his chewing as he watched Chanhee look at him in horror. "Sunwoo? Sunwoo - spit that out!" Eric yelled, panic entering his body. 

"He's just messing with you. He just doesn't want you touching them because they're his favorite fruit and it's harvesting season. They aren't poisonous."

Eric glared at Chanhee. "...Is that right?" Chanhee avoided eye contact, instead turning his focus to a random flower on the ground. "Wow, I didn't know these were in season," he said, bending down to pick up a multicolored rose he spotted in the garden. "Aren't these lovely?" He asked, bringing a rose to Eric's face. 

The blond rolled his eyes. He made a mental note to himself to never take what the warlock says as fact. "Whatever. Anyways, what are we doing here?" Chanhee sprang up, dusting his pants off of some dirt that fell off of the flower. He cleared his throat and walked to the door, taking out a key from his pocket. He put the key inside of the doorknob - which, looked way too fancy to be a doorknob. It was extensively decorated, the tiny imprints on it reminding him of the grand pillars of Ancient Greece. The doorknob turned smoothly, and Chanhee motioned the two of them inside, bowing slightly in the process.

"This is my home." He stated, locking the door behind them. "Eric, it's where you're gonna stay, for now. Until we can figure out how to get you back home." The boy nodded, taking a look at the place. It looked far smaller on the outside than it did on the inside. The walls were all wooden, a warm cider color. There was a red brick fireplace, and an active fire inside of it. It gave the home a cozy feel. Eric took a seat at one of the couches, marveling at how soft it was. "This feels nice," he mumbled, burying his face into a silk pillow. 

Sunwoo sat down next to him. "I didn't know you lived like this." He clutched a throw pillow and lifted it up, throwing it up in the air. 

"Really? I swear I've invited you over before."

"Ah! I nearly forgot." exclaimed the warlock. He stood up and walked over to a closet, dramatically opening the twin doors. "Eric, you look a little bit smaller than me, but these should work, no? You need to change." He threw a pair of clothes behind his shoulder, and the blond caught them with one hand. "You smell too human. Anyone can notice it. Except for you, of course." 

"Where can I change?"

Chanhee pointed at a door down the hallway. "That's your room. Make yourself at home." Eric hummed a tune as he walked down the hallway, shutting the door behind him.

After Eric left, the two of the remaining men were silent. Sunwoo cleared his throat, breaking the silence. Fidgeting with his hands, he spoke. "Chanhee, I never did ask you this, but why are you helping us?"

"You work for my dad. You're not supposed to be guarding a human. Do you know how big the reward is? You could afford anything you want with the prize money."

Chanhee shrugged his shoulders, letting out a deep breath. He knew about the bounty. But from the start, he never intended to do anything about it. Not that he wasn't loyal to the King, but he had his own agenda as well, as an expert of magic and all of its properties. And this human was they key to figuring all of that out. "I'm interested in him." He said, after a minute of collecting his thoughts. "He wasn't what I thought a human was. Isn't that why you're so interested in him too?"

Sunwoo thought about it. _I'm interested in him? Am I?_

He wasn't that special. In fact, he wasn't special. Compared to Sunwoo, the prince of an entire species, a human was nothing but a piece of dirt beneath his tail. He had all the power in the world, and yet this mundane human had nothing. He wasn't interested in him. Right?

"How am I interested in him?" 

Chanhee blinked. "You're asking me?" Sunwoo nodded.

"With all due respect, Sunwoo, I can't answer that." Sunwoo slouched in his seat, visibly unhappy with the older male's reply. "Whatever."

Just as Sunwoo was about to ask Chanhee another question, Eric emerged from his room, now in full warlock gear. He had on a puffy white blouse, similar to the one Chanhee was wearing, though on top of it was a black vest. A string was tied against his hips, exaggerating his already thin waist. He was wearing matching white trousers, with a pair of black slip on boots to match. He looked just like any other warlock did, but for some reason, Sunwoo found himself especially breathless.

"How do I look?" Eric asked, turning around to see himself in a mirror. Chanhee clapped enthusiastically. "You look great!" Sunwoo did the same. 

"Now that you look the part, time to hide your human-ness. Follow me." Chanhee led them to a door in the back of the home, taking them down a spiral stairway. They found themselves in front of a large arched door. Chanhee took out his hand and put his palm in the center of the door, whispering an incantation into his hand. The door opened with a bellow, making the two younger males flinch. Chanhee directed them inside, pulling on a cord that made brightness illuminate the room. 

This room was larger than the living room, and it was filled bottom to top with bookshelves. Books that looked like they haven't been opened in centuries were all stacked next to each other, cobwebs adorning the spines of the texts. They were all thick and beautifully decorated. Eric walked over to one of the bookshelves, peering in closer to inspect the books. He grabbed one of them, carefully sliding it out of its spot. The title was written in a language he couldn't understand, as were all the pages. He opened it to a random page, coughing out when the dust from the page got inside his nose.

"What's this one about?" He said, waving the book around. 

Chanhee looked at the book, squinting his eyes in order to read the tiny text. "Oh, that one. It's called The History of Animal Sacrifices in Ancient Magic. You interested?" 

Eric put the book back, carefully placing the book in its proper spot. "No, not really." 

Chanhee walked over to a small rectangular marble box that was sitting near the center of the room. He took the box, grabbing another key and unlocking it with a key that he materialized out of air. _Another cool warlock trick._ Inside of it was another ring, one with an alluring jade gemstone, one that shined so brightly that Chanhee's face was illuminated with a yellow green, thanks to the glow of the jewel. He looked like the Wizard of Oz. He smiled and threw the ring at Eric, who caught it with eager hands. 

"That ring holds a lot of power. Wear it, and you'll become like me."

Eric eyed the ring with curiosity. He put it on his finger, sliding it all the way down. He instantly felt a shock of electricity the moment the ring made contact with his skin, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 

"Now that you completely look the part, it's your turn to try acting it." He placed a bunch of books that he picked out specifically for Eric right in front of him, the dust blinding the blond slightly. "Read these, and nobody is gonna be able to tell that you're a human." Sunwoo looked at the books with an eye of doubt. "He can't read that language, though?" He asked, picking up one of the texts.

"Oh right, right! I forgot." Chanhee ran to the other side of the room and ducked beneath a shelf, squirming in between an area of empty space by a table. "It should be here somewhere..." He muttered to himself. He threw out various objects that were in his way, to which Eric and Sunwoo ducked from the impact.

"Aha!" He pulled out another box. Opening it, he discovered a pair of glasses. He walked over to Eric, placing the pair of glasses in front of his face. They were the perfect size for him, for some reason. "Try reading the books again." 

Eric looked up at him dubiously. Even so, he opened to the first page, flinching in surprise when the _words began to fly off of the page._ They surrounded him, letters and words alike, invading his personal space. They flew around him at a surprising speed, creating a gust of wind that made the other two men in the room slide back from the sudden current of air. Chanhee clapped his hands and the letters froze mid-air; before suddenly dropping. 

The texts that were in some mysterious, cryptic language were now re-arranged into English. 

Eric's eyes widened in shock. He took the glasses off, alternating between putting them and taking them off. When they were off, he couldn't read them, but when they were on, the words were crystal clear. "I.. I can read it now." Chanhee grinned. 

"Good. Now Sunwoo and I," He patted the other male's back, "we have some work to do." 

"Good luck on your reading!" 

The pink haired warlock closed the door behind him, leaving the blond all alone in the room, with only the magical books to entertain him. He raised the glasses to his nose, bringing the books closer to him. He opened up the first book to the first page, reading the title out loud. _The History of Wizardry,_ it read, in a beautiful cursive font. _Well, I guess it's time to read,_ he thought, skimming his eyes over the now understandable words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also i wasn't sure if this was clear or not, but the reason sunwoo is walking on two legs right now is because he struck a deal with some witches (will we will meet later) similar to what ariel does in the little mermaid. this is temporary. he's hiding the fact that he's a mermaid from eric. i hope that cleared up any doubt !!


	3. The Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :-]

"So, what 'work' do we have to do?" Asked Sunwoo, who was trudging behind Chanhee. The pinkette froze suddenly, making the red-head bump into his back. "Ouch," he mumbled to himself, rubbing the temple of his head. Chanhee turned around to face Sunwoo. "Well," he started, nervously laughing, almost suspiciously, "We may have a little problem with our arrangement." Sunwoo clasped his hands together, raising a brow at the other's words. "And that is?" 

"Firstly, I told you about my roommates right?" Sunwoo nodded. "Younghoon and Changmin, right? I've met them a couple times over the years. They seemed nice enough." 

"Yes, them."

To the prince, Younghoon and Changmin were enigmas. They always traveled in a pair, as if they were attached at the hip. At times he wondered whether the two could read each other's mind, as when one of them started speaking the other one managed to finish his sentence, as if they shared the same train of thought. He used to read about soulmates, those who were destined to understand each other in this lifetime and the next. He doubted their existence, of course, but if anyone in this world were soulmates, he'd think it was Younghoon and Changmin. 

Once, when he was younger, he heard about how the two of them escaped from a tea party held by a high ranking general - Younghoon's mother. He was there himself. Sunwoo saw them as they ran, the two of them raising their finger to their lips, in unison, in an attempt to silence the other boy. He slowly nodded his head, returning back to the toy that he was playing with. When one of the maids ran up to ask Sunwoo whether he'd seen the missing duo, the young prince shook his head, not willing to snitch on the pair. 

They found them at a garden across from the mansion. They were discovered playing on the swings, holding hands as they alternated up and down. If one of them were to fall off, the other would too, as if they were playing a kid-version of Russian Roulette. Sunwoo never told a soul about this instance, and the two of them never brought it up, though that was the last bit of communication between them in general. They were odd, for sure. Not people who's bad side he wanted to get on. 

He wondered how Chanhee managed to fit himself in between the iron clad duo. Chanhee was exuberant and social; while the two barely spoke to anyone besides themselves. Well, it wasn't any of his business, he supposed. Sunwoo focused back onto the matter at hand. Chanhee sounded like he had something important to say. 

"I'm not very worried about their reactions to the human, but..." Chanhee looked off into the distance. Sunwoo raised his head. "But?" 

"But I unfortunately have another visitor coming tomorrow." He let out a deep sigh. "I thought he was coming at a later date, but I just remembered the letter I got the other day when I was searching my library." Sunwoo gulped. There weren't many people in the kingdom who would formally send out a letter to mark their visit. Not anybody irrelevant, that is. 

"Sangyeon." 

Sunwoo's mouth dropped. "Sangyeon!?" He shouted, a pit forming in his stomach. "The leader of the Royal Guard Sangyeon? _That_ Sangyeon? _Oh God, Chanhee -_ What the hell is _he_ doing at your house?"

Everyone knew Sangyeon. Sangyeon, the one and only leader of the Mermaid Royal Guard. He worked almost directly under the king, second to only the kings advisor. He was a difficult man, one with the most intense death glare Sunwoo had ever seen. He brought chills down his spine, and the mere idea of being near him made Sunwoo fear for his life in his presence. Combined with his menacing stance and his irrefutable skill in battle, he was easily the strongest man in the kingdom. He didn't have any magical powers, but he made up for it with his talent and wit. And that Sangyeon, that blood-curlingly terrifying, menacing Sangyeon, would be home tomorrow. 

Sunwoo covered his face in disbelief, a sudden coldness racing up his spine. He groaned into his hands, feeling his hot breath on his palm. "If he see's Eric, he'll see past whatever magic you did on him. And he'll get arrested, and probably killed - no wait, he'll be tortured first - probably mashed into some sort of paste, or maybe, if they're feeling nice in the Human Torture Committee, they'll drown him instead? Probably repeatedly, so he just has to sit there and suffer. Or-"

Sunwoo felt a touch on his shoulder. He lowered his hands from his face, meeting eyes with his friend. "He won't find him," he said, squeezing the red-head's shoulder. "I think." Sunwoo rolled his eyes. "Oh that's reassuring. You don't think he'll be caught. Thank you for the no stress guarantee." Chanhee let go of Sunwoo's shoulder, walking over to the kitchen. He opened the doors of the fridge, skimming over every item. He pushed aside a cartoon of strawberry milk that he made himself and found a brew that he and Changmin made, created with special herbal materials that they discovered on a trip to a nearby kingdom. It had special medical properties, as well as the ability to instantly de-stress someone and calm their nerves. 

"Drink this." Chanhee said, shoving it in Sunwoo's face. "Don't stress yourself out too much. The spell the witches casted on you could run out earlier if you're too stressed out. " Sunwoo quietly thanked him and grabbed the cup, sipping it slowly and then spitting it out in disgust. He stuck his tongue out, his face scrunching up in repulsion. Raising the cup to eye level, he gave the cup back to Chanhee, rubbing the remnants off of his hand. "What is this cursed juice made of?" He asked, rushing to grab himself a glass of water to wash the God awful taste down. "It tastes like ass." 

"That's quite crude of you to say."

"Whatever."

Chanhee raised a finger to his chin. "Hmm. If I remember, it's made of frog's tongue," Sunwoo gagged at the mention, running to grab a towel so he could aggressively scrub the brew off of his tongue. "Cedar tree leaves, crushed seashells, and...."

Chanhee shrugged his shoulders. "I don't remember the rest. Ask Changmin." Sunwoo held the towel in his hands. He furrowed his brows at Chanhee, something the warlock found to be a very cute habit of his. "...You're the worst sometimes, Chanhee."

Chanhee smirked. "But you feel better, right?" Sunwoo _did_ sort of feel better. He couldn't argue with that. 

Proudly, Chanhee opened his mouth. "Truth is, the drink is supposed to be so utterly disgusting that all of your worries are replaced by the intense need to spit it out. And it works like a charm every time."

Chanhee was beginning to earn the ire of the prince. He smiled apologetically, raising his hands in a prayer stance. "Anyways, now that you've calmed down, let's discuss this Sangyeon matter some more. I know you're worried about what he'll do if he sees Eric, but I have a plan. And it might work, albeit not without some difficulty." Chanhee motioned for the younger male to come closer. With a snap of his fingers he created a barrier around them, making Sunwoo marvel in the warlocks abilities. A field of shining crimson now surrounded them. Sunwoo lifted his finger up, reaching out to touch the lucid force field. Making contact with the barrier felt like how he imagined walking through a ghost felt. 

Chanhee eyed the field with suspicion, snapping his fingers once more. The force field instantly changed color, and a twinkle settled onto the older man's eyes. He rubbed his hands, as if he was proud of himself after a long day of work. "There we go. Completely sound proof now."

"Listen," Chanhee started, bringing the other boy's face closer to his his. "My roommates are gonna be back from their trip today, I hope. They're going to help us with our plan." Chanhee was smiling at the mention of his roommates, a toothy grin that made Sunwoo want to throw up. 

"You haven't told them about Eric yet, correct?" Chanhee nodded.

"And yet you sound like you have full trust in them." 

"I do."

Sunwoo raised an eyebrow. What could the two of them possibly do to Sangyeon, the fiercest warrior in the world? He set the towel down on the counter, pulling out a chair from underneath the dinner table. He sat on it, folding his arms onto the cold counter top. He held his breath. "Your plans are always all difficult and dangerous," he remarked, pulling out another chair for the warlock, "and those two scare me a little," He looked up at Chanhee, his piercing honey brown eyes filled with warmth and confidence. "But I trust you, Chanhee."

"Now tell me, what exactly is this plan of yours?"

Eric was beginning to regret having the ability to read. It was overrated, he huffed, as he tiredly flipped to the next page. He was currently on book two of - _one, two, three, four, five -_ five books. All about the art of being a warlock, a special being whose mere existence defies all existing laws of science and nature. Laws that had ingrained into his brain from his youth to his adulthood. He groaned at the thought of three more books to read. Why should he have to go through hundreds upon hundreds of pages, when there was probably a magic tool that could suck all the information out of the books and into his brain? From what he's seen of magic already, the idea doesn't sound too far fetched. 

He couldn't deny though, that he certainly was entertained by the text. He read things that he'd never even gave a lick of thought to, such as how one could summon a violent storm with just a couple of ingredients that were easily findable at home. Or how one could hack the inner workings of those nearby to do anything he could ever want, creating a personal slave for his own use, all doable if he had the right tomes and skill sets. Not that he was ever interested in stuff like that, but reading about them was fun. It made him wonder, had anyone attempted these tricks before?

_Someone must have,_ he thought, flipping over to the next page. _Otherwise these wouldn't be in here._

He put the book down, slamming it on onto the table with a thud. "I'm going to take a little break." He said out loud, to nobody in particular. His patience had finally ran through and he _needed_ a break. He stood up, arranging the books neatly in order so that they were all stacked onto each other for when he resumed his reading. He took a look around the library he was in, fully taking in the absolute grandeur of the space. Hanging above the dead center of the room was a gorgeous chandelier, one similar in appearance to a polished candelabra. Directly below it was a grand mahogany organ, one with so many keys that Eric had begun to lose count. It looked ancient and dusty, as if taken directly from the old mansions he saw in movies. 

He sat down on the bench of the organ, lifting his hands dramatically. When he touched one of the keys, no sound came out of them, making him wonder whether it was broken or not. "A shame," he whispered to himself, shaking his head. "Even if this was broken, it could probably go for a lot." He made a mental note to himself to ask Chanhee what was up with the large instrument. He stood up and walked away from the organ, not noticing how immediately after he left, the key played itself, the tune reverberating throughout itself, as if it was mocking the young human. 

He found himself in front of the box that Chanhee had opened earlier, the one that held the ring he gave Eric. It looked untouched, the top of it still opened. Chanhee picked it up, almost dropping to the ground as the box was in his hands. It was... abnormally heavy. He placed the box back on the table, feeling a weight off of his shoulders when it was gone. He wiped a stripe of sweat off of his forehead, sighing tiredly. "That felt like a marathon," he let out, panting heavily. Chanhee looked so delicate, so fragile. Like a twig that would snap in half any second now. How could he manage to hold that - better yet open it? He added this to the never ending list of questions he had for the warlock. He moved on from the box, looking back at it one last time. He turned away fast, as it was beginning to creep him out. 

Next to Eric's desk was another bookshelf, but instead of books, there were boxes stacked on top of each other. Eric leaned in closer to the boxes, jumping back in surprise when one of the boxes began to shake, as if there was something - or someone - inside of it. He decided to ignore that one, moving onto another part of the room. He now found himself in front of a small wooden case, bending down to look inside of it. He grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, crinkling a piece of it so he could rub the dust off of the glass windows. The dust dispersed instantly. 

He raised the case above his head, shaking it slightly. He couldn't hear anything moving inside, so he reluctantly put the case back where he found it. He thought there would be another ring inside of it, or maybe a necklace. Something of value. But it was empty. _Damn it. I thought I was gonna score a new ring._

He walked back to his seat, shrinking inside of the soft leather furnishings. The softness of the material was welcoming. "I'm tired..." he mumbled, stifling a yawn. He looked around the room for a clock, or some other device that could check the time. _Have I even slept since I got here?_ He asked himself, sliding the books to the corner of the surface. He laid his arms across his desk, his head making contact with the cold wood. He felt a wave of exhaustion drape itself over him. 

He could feel the same heaviness on his eyes that he always did when he got sleepy. He could feel his consciousness slowly ebbing away, the waves of clarity and determination he felt earlier were now coming to an end. He closed his eyes and immediately fell into a deep slumber, his steady breathing and the stable rising of his chest being the only indicators of any life in the library. 

Suddenly, Eric found himself awake, He blinked and patted himself all over, pinching himself for confirmation. Eric couldn't remember how, but he was now standing directly in front of his apartment, the one he shared with his friend. In his own world, on Earth. The sun was peeking out behind a cloud and a child passed by him, laughing joyfully as he chased another kid around the block. An old lady was taking her dog out for a walk, giving Eric a friendly nod as she resumed her daily walk. Eric looked down at his hand. He saw the intricate lines in his palm, the three distinct lines that had been there since he was born. Everything seemed so real. So familiar. _He was finally home._

He grinned and ran up the brick steps that led up to the building. He eagerly rang the doorbell, pressing it multiple times over and over. He could hear footsteps walking to the door, so he stepped back from the doorbell, waiting for it to be opened. The door slid open, and there in all his glory was Eric's roommate, with a groggy look on his face. "Haknyeon!" Eric shouted, encasing the other in a hug. He held him tightly, slightly afraid that if he let go, his friend might disappear. 

Haknyeon pet his back, visibly confused at the younger's show of affection. Either way, he wasn't the type to turn down a nice hug. "I saw you like, 15 minutes ago," he began, now rubbing circles into his back, "but hi?" Eric only held him tighter. He buried his face in Haknyeon's chest, only releasing himself from the other's warm embrace to take a breath of air. "It feels like it's been forever..." He whispered, snuggling back into Hak's neck. 

"Forever?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. "You only went to the beach..."

Eric drew his brows together. He remembered going through so much in just a day in the other world, and yet, in his own, barely a day had passed by. "Oh. Yeah. The beach." 

Haknyeon let go first, directing Eric inside of their shared apartment. The first thing Eric felt was a blast of cold air coming from the A/C unit. He stood there and took it all in, smiling cluelessly as he earned a raised brow from his roommate. He ignored him; he was long used to Eric's odd shenanigans. Eric walked away from the A/C, instead focusing his attention to the couch. He collapsed onto it, shrinking inside of the soft cushions. He raised his legs onto the couch, dangling his feet off of the sofa's arm. He rested his arms behind his head and laid there, letting the relaxing atmosphere of his home take over himself. 

He grabbed the TV remote off of the table and turned it on. He sat upright, grabbing a pillow and placing it in his lap. He checked the time at the top right of the screen: it read 3:34 pm. He originally left the house at about that time, so not that much time had to have passed by. He beamed, switching the TV to his favorite channel. 

The usual picture wasn't there, instead replaced by black and white static; so grainy and loud that he rushed to cover his ears. "Weird." This happened sometimes, so he didn't think much of it. He chose to go to his second favorite channel afterwards, only to be met with the same static noise. He put the remote down, pausing the channel. "Haknyeon?" He said, wanting to get the older's help. "I think there's a problem with the signal." He picked the remote up and tinkered with it, throwing it up into the air for emphasis. 

No reply. "Haknyeon?" He repeated, a little bit more aggressively. Eric heard the opening of a door and heard the shuffling of footsteps. "Haknyeon, I'm over here." He waved the remote around, not that his roommate could tell. The boy in mention came into the living room, a glass of water in his hands. "Yeah?" he replied, sipping on his water. He let out a refreshed sigh. "What's up?" He sat down by the blond, clutching the remote in his hands.

Eric pointed to the TV. "Look." Haknyeon looked at where Eric was directing him, and a look of confusion came upon him. "What am I looking at?"

"I don't know. The screen's just like that." 

Haknyeon tried changing the channel, but yet again they were met with the same grainy static. Eric sighed, leaning his head against his friend. "This sucks. I just wanted to watch some TV." Haknyeon slurped onto his straw. "What, not a Gordon Ramsay fan? I think he's okay." Eric's forehead creased. "Wha - what does this have to do with Gordon Ramsay?" _I mean I think he's okay? I guess?_

"Um," Haknyeon used the remote to point at the TV, "because his show is on right now?" He clicked his tongue. "Ah, that poor red team. They're getting eaten up right now." Haknyeon giggled to himself, giving himself a pat on the back. Eric would have laughed at that pun had he not have been so utterly confused. He blinked again, and tried rubbing his eyes. But all he saw was the black and white static that seemed to stare into his soul. Eric ignored it, thinking it was just Haknyeon and one of his jokes. 

Except Haknyeon looked genuinely interested in the show. He made comments and critiques - as if he was watching the show normally. He made his own commentary as well, even whipping out his phone to record a part of the episode to put on his Instagram story. Eric thought this was really, really weird; if not borderline creepy. He was beginning to get creeped out. "Enough joking around, Haknyeon." He stated, taking the remote and turning the volume all the way down. "This isn't funny."

Haknyeon turned to him, genuine curiosity in his eyes. "Dude? I don't know what you're talking about-" Haknyeon raised his voice suddenly, making Eric jump in his seat, "FUCK. My favorite member of the team got eliminated. Give that here." He reached over for the remote and put the volume all the way back, and the noise from the static screen got ever more deafening. Haknyeon didn't flinch or jump at all, making Eric truly wonder whether he was serious or not. But he couldn't actually be watching an episode of Master Chef. That was impossible. But Eric also knew when his best friend was joking, and he didn't look like he was just pulling a prank.

So Eric was met with two options: either one, his roommate had lost his mind, and was hallucinating the episode of Master Chef, or two, _he_ had lost his mind, and was for some reason seeing the black and white static while his buddy was watching a normal screen. He didn't like either option. 

Eric took a deep breath. "Haknyeon, I'm being serious here." Haknyeon turned his head towards him, his earnest eyes paying full attention to Eric. He pressed pause on the remote, but Eric still thought it did nothing to help.

Haknyeon could sense that Eric wasn't feeling too well. "Is everything okay?" He asked, putting his arm around Eric for support. "Did something happen while you were out? Do I need to beat someone up?" Eric chuckled slightly and lifted the other's arms off of his shoulder, instead clutching his hand in his grasp. He opened his mouth, pausing once more. After a little bit, he spoke up, "Do you seriously not see anything weird with the TV?"

Haknyeon shook his head. "No? Why?" His voice sounded so innocent, so genuinely pure that Eric's thoughts were beginning to wander. Eric narrowed his eyes. "Really? You're not fucking with me?" Haknyeon nodded. "Dude are _you_ the one fucking with me? The TV is fine. There's a commercial on." He pointed at the screen. "See?" _No, Hak, I cannot see._

Seemingly of nowhere, the familiar crackling of thunder erupted in the sky. Eric flinched - he had always hated the sound. The reflection of the lightning that followed appeared onto Haknyeon's face for a moment, cloaking his features in a deep purple. He immediately hid himself behind Hak's back, peeking out slowly from behind him in order to locate where the noise came from. He scanned the window, and was shocked to see that it was as sunny as it was when he entered his home. Only about ten or so minutes had passed by, and by now Eric's nerves were at an all time high. The hairs at the back of his neck were standing, and he could sense that _something was wrong._

Something had to be wrong. He heard the sound of rain, the sudden downpour pressing itself onto the rooftop as if it was about to start a cave in. And yet Haknyeon did not move a muscle, not even when the rain was beginning to flood and cover the streets. "I'm guessing you don't see that either?" Eric asked, turning his head towards the window. Haknyeon gave him a once-over before going back to his show, mumbling under his breath, "Youngjae, take a nap or something. You're seeing things. You're really creeping me out." That was enough confirmation for the blond. Something was up. 

Eric's mind began to race. His heart rate was beginning to accelerate, and he could feel his temperature rising. Panic was beginning to surge through him. He had to go. He politely excused himself from Haknyeon and ran to him room, almost tripping on a cord in the hallway. He locked the door behind him and walked over to his window, looking out at the people below him. He saw the same people from earlier, - the same old lady, the same dog, and the same children, still having fun albeit the complete chaos occurring around them. They were being rained on immensely, and Eric worried about his elderly neighbor tripping on the slippery sidewalk. He waved at them, but they didn't seem to notice him. That or they completely ignored his presence. 

Just as he was about to turn back inside, Eric thought he saw something odd in his peripheral vision. Hesitantly, he turned around, eyeing the scene once more. He saw the same child chase the other one, the same lady walking her dog, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. 

_Wait._

Eric looked at the running child in detail. He swore he heard that same exact laugh before, as the same child running down the same block. Looking closer, he noticed how the old lady bowed her head like she did earlier, except this time, no one was there. _What the heck?_ he thought, watching the old lady tug onto her dog's leash as she did before. The dog seemed to notice him, as it started barking aggressively in his direction. 

The two figures seemed to be in a trance; if not a loop. Eric couldn't fathom this, so he tried pushing the mind to the back of his head, but the thought still crept through to the very front of his mind. He stayed and watch the two as they repeated their actions, the old lady bowing and the kid running. Eric pinched his arm, feeling the pain in his skin. 

The two of them were in a loop, and they were repeating the same pattern over and over again. This much he could confirm, as he heard the same laugh repeat itself once more.

His head began to ache. A throbbing pain formed between his brows, making the young man stumble slightly in order to collapse onto his bed. He crawled into fetal position and held his head, ignoring how the loud the downpour had become. It was as if the storm cloud was in his own house, in his own room, casting a giant storm for his viewing pleasure only. He was now all types of emotions, mostly terrified. Eric could envision a giant gray cloud in his room, one menacing and large enough to house the storm that caused Noah's Ark to collapse. It crackled again, and the violent dark rays that came from the lightning flashes looked like an almighty camera flash. 

He hid inside of his blanket, praying for it all to be over. He covered his ears with his pillows and scrunched his face as a look of pure terror fell over him, until suddenly, all was quiet. 

He woke up and found himself in Chanhee's library. 

He was sitting on the desk, in the same position as he was earlier, with his drool decorating the furniture, creating a shiny spot where he had just rubbed it off. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, feeling the sleepiness disappear from them. His eyelids felt light as the heaviness he felt dissipated. For a couple minutes he sat there, unable to move from his seat, partly out of fear and partly from the sheer desire simply not to.

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. The person behind it quickly opened up, and Eric saw Chanhee and Sunwoo walk in. He had never been happier to see their faces, especially Sunwoo. 

"So it was a dream...?" He whispered to himself as the duo sat by him. "What was?" Asked Chanhee, who was looking at the spot his head had just laid on.The side of his face created an imprint on the desk, partly because of all the dust on it. 

Eric quickly waved it off. "Oh, nothing." He was met with a "hmm" by the older male, who could sense the disorder in the blond's appearance. But he didn't speak up - he didn't feel like it was his place to. 

Chanhee folded his arms on the desk, clasping his hands together in a business-y fashion. He had a look of confidence, one that made Eric think he was gonna regret the first word that came out of his mouth. "Eric, this might not be the best time, but we need a favor from you." _From who?_

Eric pointed to himself. "From me?"

"Yes." Eric glanced over at Sunwoo, who was avoiding eye contact with him. "Yeah," Sunwoo muttered, looking at the ground, "from you. But you don't have to do it." Quieter, he scoffed. "I know I wouldn't." Eric pretended he didn't hear that, changing his focus to Chanhee. 

Eric pondered the thought. "What exactly is this favor?"

Chanhee laughed nervously. He fidgeted with his fingers, and Eric could instantly tell that he was up to no good. He didn't seem like the type to get nervous. "Well," he started, "just trust us. Okay?" 

_What do I have to lose? It can't be that bad._ "Okay." Sunwoo's head instantly snapped up. "I'll do it." Chanhee clapped his hands. "Great!" He shouted, his voice teeming with a burst of confidence, "follow me. I'll tell you everything." He stood up and marched out of the room as if he had the confidence of a professional football player. Eric began to follow before he was stopped by Sunwoo, who had a concerned look on his face. "You didn't even ask what the favor was?" Eric shrugged his shoulders.

"I trust you guys. I know you two wouldn't try to hurt me." He grinned at the red-head and followed Chanhee out, leaving Sunwoo alone in the library, by himself. "Wait, don't leave me behind!" He yelled, running after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahaha im not really proud of this one chiefs :{ next update wont seem as rushed or tired i swear i just had to get the sorta boring stuff out :(  
> also comments r sorta nice for motivation so feel free 2 leave one if u want :]


	4. The Vampire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im sosososo sorry for the lack of updates! i've been working full time recently and it's been kicking my ass. but i'm back! i hope you enjoy the rest of the story :)

In front of Eric stood two people who he had never seen before. They were handsome, much so, with one of them towering over the other. The two wore blank expressions, almost as if they had yet to notice the arrival of the other men. Chanhee went over to them and embraced them in a hug, to which they finally showed some emotion. They looked even handsomer when they smiled, Eric noted. Almost like the vampires in the movies he used to watch when he was a kid. Hauntingly attractive almost. What was the movie? He couldn't think of it.

"Chanhee, what is... this?" The shorter male said, noticing the human behind Chanhee's shoulder. There was a sharp look in his eyes, one that made the hairs at the back of his neck raise. _Well, ouch,_ Eric thought to himself, meekly hiding behind a confused Sunwoo's back. 

Chanhee reluctantly let go of them and walked over to Eric's side, giving him a supportive pat on the back. "This is Eric. He's a human." 

Eric almost choked on his spit. He fumbled on his words, "Wait you're gonna just - tell them like that?" 

Facing away from Eric, Chanhee smiled at the two. "Yes? They don't care. See?" 

Eric could see that they very well didn't care, judging by the unchanging dead fish look in their eyes. They didn't even blink at the news, something that Eric found to be very unusual. Sunwoo seemed to share the same sentiment as him, as he also looked shocked at the warlock's sudden confession. "..So I can see that it is a human. Why is it here?" One of them asked, quite rudely. He looked Eric up and down before scoffing, then turning around and taking a seat on the sofa. Eric decided he didn't like that one. He was the taller of the duo, with shining black hair that could light up the room. If he hadn't have been so rude, Eric probably would have been attracted to him. 

Chanhee scolded him, lightly punching his shoulder. "Hoon, how many times have I told you? Humans are not an 'it'. Like I said, this human is named Eric. Eric, say hi." Eric reluctantly waved at him, to which he received a glare in response. "Shocker." He muttered under his breath, eliciting an antagonizing eye roll from the tall man. 

The shorter one spoke. "So, there is a human, but why is it -" Chanhee stared him down - "I mean, _he,_ in our house? Shouldn't he be... reported to Sangyeon?" Sunwoo tensed at the mention of the general. "Absolutely not!" He blurted out, earning the attention of everybody in the room. The shorter one - Changmin, trained his eyes towards him, his pupils widening in surprise when he noticed the familiar crimson red hair.

He squinted his eyes at the red-head, in seeming disbelief. "Your Highness?" He began, "Prince, what are you doing here?" Younghoon noticed him earlier, but didn't say anything. Though he could not lie, he too was curious as to why the Prince was in their cottage, with a human in tow no less. He didn't like meddling in others business, so he let Changmin take the rein.

Eric looked around the room, unsure of what they were talking about. "Prince? Who? Where?" He said out loud, before landing his eyes on the pinket. "Chanhee, you're a prince?" Said warlock laughed, the same laugh one would have after hearing a joke that wasn't very funny. 

"No, I am not a prince. Though I should be, I think I fit the docket quite well. I'd most certainly make a spectacular prince. Right?" Younghoon gave him a thumbs up, to which Chanhee beamed. 

Interrupting Chanhee's spiel, Sunwoo spoke, shrinking slightly at Changmin's rough demeanor. His eyes were set on him. For someone who was his height, if not slightly shorter, he seemed awfully large. Sunwoo coughed, straightening out his collar. He kept eye contact with Changmin, smiling to him in an attempt to seem larger. "You must be mistaken. I am not the Prince." He said, confidently. He hoped he didn't sound suspicious.

Changmin raised a brow. "I find that hard to believe. Everyone knows about the Prince and his infamous red hair. He sticks out like a sore thumb." Sunwoo shrank even more. He envisioned himself as a mouse, being growled at by a cartoonishly large cat. 

_Be confident, Sunwoo._ The voice inside his mind echoed, _You can't let them know that you're the Prince. Only Chanhee can know._

"You must have never seen the Prince before, this shade of red is merely a poor copy. I could never wear the crimson of the royals." Sunwoo knew that was a bold thing to say, but it was all he could come up with. He just hopes he'd never seen him prior to this meeting.

"Oh really?" Changmin replied, suspiciously, narrowing his eyes and looking him up and down. His eyes settled onto Sunwoo's for a moment before looking away, clicking his tongue at the merman in disguise. "If you say so. I don't really care who you are." He walked away from the group and settled down next to Younghoon, placing his head into his lap and nuzzling into his chest. 

Sunwoo felt a weight fly off of his shoulders. His muscles relaxed, and he turned his attention towards Chanhee, who seemed mighty amused at the two's conversation. "Is something funny?" Sunwoo said, pouting at the unfair treatment. Chanhee shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. "Nothing. I just think he likes you. Nice job." 

Sunwoo looked at him in surprise. "You think he likes me?! That man looked at me as if I murdered his dog."

Chanhee shrugged. "He could've been much, much worse. Trust me. You still have all your limbs in tact, so I'd say this went pretty well!" He squeezed the red-head's shoulders in support. "Anyways, we need to get started." 

Chanhee walked over to the duo, pulling them over to where the others were standing. They followed him, wondering just what mischief their partner had gotten them into today. Chanhee clapped, and everyone's eyes were on him. Changmin pulled on the warlock's sleeve. "Chanhee, you still haven't explained the human."

"I was getting to that." 

"So you both know about how Sangyeon is covering over, yes?" The two nodded. These meetings were a requirement for everyone that worked under the King, and because Chanhee was one of the King's Highly Skilled Warlock's, Sangyeon made sure to visit him every so often to make sure he wasn't doing anything he shouldn't have been - whatever that would have entailed. His inspections were average, consisting of Sangyeon asking what various things were and Chanhee explaining them to him exasperatedly in baby language. They weren't the most pleasant part of his year, but he had to deal with them.

Eric looked confused. "Sangyeon again? Who is that? His name is popping up often." A look of realization came upon Chanhee's face. "Ah. I never did tell you about Sangyeon. I knew I forgot something. Basically, he is a part of the Mermaid Royal Guard. He works under the king. Same as me. And he will be here soon to conduct an inspection of my house. And if he sees you, smells you, et setera, you can consider yourself dead." Eric's jaw dropped. 

Sunwoo scolded him. "Chanhee! That was an awful explanation. You are awful at explaining things. Poor Eric looks horrified." He rushed to Eric's side, giving him a supportive pat on the back. It was a small gesture, but Eric appreciated it.

"We have a plan to help you, Eric, don't worry." Chanhee assured. "It is not a very good one, but it is a plan." Chanhee looked at the two men. "And I will need your help as well if I am to make this plan work. You are detrimental to it, if anything." 

Younghoon spoke. "I still do not understand what this human needs our help with. We do not have magic like you do. What could we possibly do?" 

"Well, I don't want Sangyeon to discover Eric. And I know if nothing is done, then he will most certainly see the human to his demise." Eric felt a shiver crawl down his back. Changmin and Younghoon followed Chanhee's words carefully, still confused as to what they had to do with the human. "Now this might be asking a lot of you two, but please consider this idea for me." 

Younghoon held Chanhee's hand, squeezing it slightly. "Of course, anything for you, love. But what is your idea?" 

"I want you and Changmin to Turn Eric. Temporarily, of course. Just for a day." Sunwoo shut his eyes once he heard the words come out of the warlock's mouth. He hated the idea of Eric being turned, even if it was temporarily. He was afraid of whether the human would feel pain during the transformation, or if he'd feel anything afterwards. Or if his body still retained his supernatural traits after the venom exited his system, or if this would impact his body's aging - he did _not_ like the idea. Though he was against it, he knew that this was their only shot at concealing the boy. 

Like clockwork, Eric raised his hand, bringing the duo's attention to him. "Turned? What does that mean?"

Changmin opened his mouth, and Eric watched in awe as two of his teeth slowly transformed to become sharper. "Younghoon and I are vampires." He stated, raising his hands. His nails grew sharper as well, to a point even. He grabbed a flower from a vase nearby and slashed through the stem with his nails, leaving the petals to fall to the ground from the sharp cut."To Turn someone is to Turn them into one of us, though the process is long and difficult. It is quite painful as well. Chanhee, are you sure about this?" 

"I'm very sure. He wouldn't be turned into a real vampire, just a fledgling. For less than a day even. You two can handle that, right?"

This time, Younghoon spoke. "Well, yes. But will the human be okay with it?" All eyes turned to Eric. "So? What do you think?" 

Eric looked at the two pairs of eyes in beside him. It's true that they looked ethereally inhuman, in a way different from Chanhee and Sunwoo. They had a 'just came out of the shower' look to them. They certainly looked like they had eternal youth. Their red eyes looked alluring with the rays of the sun casting on them, leaving behind no shadow. Their eyes were brown prior, making Eric believe that red eyes must be a vampire thing. 

If this was the old Eric, perhaps he'd be freaking out about meeting _vampires._ They were bloodsucking creatures of the night, associated with Halloween, evil stuff, and Satanic rituals. They were rumored to suck people dry until they have no life in their bodies. But most of all, they weren't real. They were mythical creatures. But so were warlocks, and mermaids, and goblins... It was too much. So Eric shut down the logical part of his mind that was telling him to wake up from this dream and believed them. 

Now that he had that mini crisis out of the way, the rest of what they said was starting to process. They wanted to Turn him, Eric Sohn, Sohn Youngjae, into one of them. A vampire. 

What.

Eric fumbled with his words. "You - You wanna Turn _me-"_ He was interrupted by Changmin, who scoffed at him in disgust. Similar to how Younghoon did earlier. "You are so uncouth. Chanhee why do you bother with him? He talks too much."

"Hey!" Yelled Eric, crossing his arms across his chest. "For your information, my friends say I'm really cool. Right Sunwoo?" 

Sunwoo stammered out of his daze. He wasn't tuned in to the conversation, and he wasn't sure what he was agreeing to. "..Right. Yes. Yeah. Of course, Eric." 

Eric pointed at Sunwoo."See?" Changmin rolled his eyes. "Your language is very odd. Do not speak with me further, you are irritating me with your presence and attitude. Let's just get on with this." Changmin rolled his sleeves, revealing a sleek tattoo in the shape of a small red bird. It looked like it didn't match the boy's attitude, and Eric couldn't help but stare at it. It looked so delicate, the bird did, as if it was harmonious with the world. While Changmin looked like an angry old man who yelled at children to get off of his lawn.

"...It is impolite to stare, human." Eric was brought out of his daze by the vampire's dangerous tone. "Oh, sorry." He replied, hiding behind Chanhee's shoulder, the top of his head peeking out. "Do you really think he likes me?" He whispered into Chanhee's ear. 

Chanhee looked at him as if he had asked him something absurd. "Yes? Is it not obvious? He is emanating the friendliest of vibes right now. Him and Younghoon both. Can't you see it in their eyes?"

Eric didn't really wanna look into their eyes. He treasured his own.

"..You're an enigma, Chanhee." Chanhee shrugged. "I suppose." 

Sunwoo coughed, wanting to get back to the matter at hand. "Can we go back to the Turning? I would like to know more about the process. It's been on my mind for a while now. How are you temporarily able to turn someone into a vampire? I have never heard of such a thing." Changmin sighed. "Must I explain everything? This is how I know you are not the Prince. I will lessen my suspicions towards you. I would assume the Prince knows all about the Turning process." 

Sunwoo couldn't help but to think about how that one hurt a little bit. He made a mental note to himself to research vampires more later.

"I would like to know too." Said Eric. "Since I'm the one being Turned and all." Changmin groaned but didn't refuse the request. Chanhee was slightly worried that he would, though he seemed to be in a good mood."

"Turning is a complicated process that can take days to weeks depending on the vampire's ability level. Younghoon and I are two of the most skilled vampires in our world, as we both come from ancient lines of vampires spanning back a millennia. With each generation our power grows more and more. This makes Younghoon and I a rarity, as there are not many pure blood vampires in the world. Most are new vampires, called fledglings, who exist from being turned."

"With Turning, as you'd imagine, you have to consume the blood of the human you wish to turn." Eric didn't like that part, but he didn't dare interrupt, only gulping in fear. "You sink your teeth into their neck, suck as much blood as you'd like, and release a type of venom. This venom reverses the human's ability to age, and lessens their natural limiter on their physical ability. From then on, you're on your own, and you learn everything else by yourself. Unless you're recruited into a pack." 

"However, skilled vampires can control the amount of venom released. This is a skill that takes centuries to learn, but creating a half fledgling is doable. If I inject you with a very small amount of venom, then it can enter your body fast enough so that you can pass as a fledgling. It will also dissipate in your stomach, and will naturally undo all of the effects it made earlier."

Changmin looked at Chanhee. "Was that explanation sufficient? I have never had to explain this process before. Typically, we simply bite and go." Chanhee ruffled the vampires hair. "It was wonderful, Changmin." Changmin enjoyed the feeling of Chanhee's fingers in his hair. He snuggled into his touch, purring at the sensation. Chanhee looked at him fondly.

"Eric, was that clear?" Chanhee asked, his attention now on the human. Changmin pouted slightly at the loss of attention, but quickly roughened up, not wanting to look weak in front of the others. Eric thought he looked kinda cute when he wasn't looking down on him. 

"That was pretty clear, I guess. But what happens after I am... _Turned?_ " 

This time, Chanhee spoke up. "After you are turned, you will be sent downstairs to do some quick research on vampires. You need to sell the part. You have all day to do that. Tomorrow is when Sangyeon arrives, and I have this bit entirely planned out. You will borrow a set of clothing from Changmin, as he seems closer to your size and height, though you are still remarkably smaller," Sunwoo gave him a light punch to his side. 

"And then you will hide in our room. Simple, yeah? And if Sangyeon tries to talk with you, or interrogate you, just do nothing. Do not even answer. He can tell if you are lying. The inspection will take about half an hour, as the old man likes to scourge through everything."

Eric was starting to feel dizzy. Half of the words the warlock was saying were sticking to him, while the other half sounded like jumbled up jargon. Nonetheless, he nodded, as everyone else was expecting a response from him.

"As Changmin explained, the venom will dissipate on its own. So you do not have anything to worry about with that." This time, Sunwoo butted in. "Will it hurt him? Being Turned." Chanhee turned to Changmin, who didn't look like he wanted to answer.

"Of course it will hurt. I am injecting poison into your body." Eric cringed. "It is a very small amount, however, so it will not hurt _as much_. I cannot compare it to anything I have felt, but it is a burning sensation from what I have been told. Just relax your body and you will be fine."

That did not help ease Eric's nerves at all. Sunwoo noticed his inner turmoil and grabbed his hand, linking their fingers together. "You will be fine, Eric. I will be watching over you to make sure everything is alright." 

Somehow, Eric felt like he could trust Sunwoo's words of reassurance. 

"So Eric, wanna be a vampire for a day?" Chanhee asked him, Younghoon and Changmin looking off into the distance. "Honestly, I don't wanna be a vampire for a day, but I don't really have a choice now, do I?" Sunwoo shook his head sadly. 

"Then vampire for a day it is! Don't bite me too hard, please. I'm sensitive." Changmin fake vomited at his words, to which Chanhee unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh. 


	5. The Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a short one for today ^_^ just wanted to write this scene out separately to make it easier for the next chapter!

Slowly, Eric felt his eyes disappear into the back of his head. The whites of his eyes becoming ever clearer as his entire body seemed to glow, emitting a cold light similar to the ones the vampires held. He felt himself losing consciousness, he could feel his thoughts empty themselves one by one, and boy, was the silence deafening. 

It was quiet in Eric's mind. He could hear his own heart beat get slower and slower, the steady beats gradually decreasing themselves into an eventual nothingness. Was this how it felt becoming a vampire? He thought to himself, and when he thought, it sounded as if the words were yelled into his mind with a megaphone. Like he was trapped in a large room, and there were speakers all around him. 

He could feel a burning sensation spreading throughout his entire body. He didn't know if it was the venom from the bite, or if he was just on fire, as, you know, normal people usually were, but it was not pleasant in the slightest to the young blond. It started at the heels of his feet, spreading up into his legs, his hands, his arms. He felt numb all over, much like he did right before he passed out after a particularly rough game of baseball. 

And then, he felt nothing. 

"He blacked out!" Someone yelled. A voice that he couldn't decipher. Was it Chanhee? Changmin? No, it couldn't be Changmin. Chanhee then? They all sounded the same to Eric, and for some reason, he couldn't differentiate any of them. He felt himself being carried, though he could not tell to where. He felt a soft press to his forehead, followed by a sudden drop of something on his cheeks and a soft voice calling out to him, one filled with concern. Why was this person concerned? "Eric!? Eric, hello?" 

Eric wanted to speak, but he couldn't. For some reason, words weren't leaving his mouth. The voices spoke again, uttering out separate words and phrases that didn't make sense. All he could hear was static, with the occasional clear sound. "Eric, can you hear me?" He tried shaking his head. He was unsuccessful. He could hear the voice, but it sounded distant, sorta like they were speaking to him from far away.

Eric couldn't understand the entire conversation happening right in front of him, but somehow, whenever they spoke, he could clearly hear one voice from the group of voices surrounding him. "Changmin, what the hell did you do to him?!" 

Changmin narrowed his eyes, eyeing the blond with an unreadable expression. "This is odd... it does not happen normally. I didn't even bite him that hard. And I've never seen that happen, ever." He turned to his partner, who had a far off look in his eyes. "Younghoon, have you seen anyone's eyes bleed after they got bit?" The boy mentioned shook his head, looking as confused as the other vampire did. "Not even once. The worst reaction I've seen to someone getting Turned was someone passing out for a couple of seconds. But no blood."

Changmin tilted his head, glancing guility down at the boy. "He looks like he's crying..." he mumbled under his breath. "Why would he be crying?" 

Chanhee picked the boy up, setting him down onto the couch. Sunwoo quickly followed him, a million words a minute flying into his mind. Like, for example, what the hell is going on, and why is Chanhee not panicking? Why is nobody else panicking? Sunwoo could feel himself getting angrier by the second. He didn't want to anger the warlock, but he wanted to sound assertive. "Chanhee, this was _not_ in the plan. I wan't you to tell me exactly what's happening." 

"I honestly don't know." Chanhee wiped off the streak of blood from his eyes with a handkerchief. "I guess his body isn't liking the vampire venom."

"What do you mean?" 

Younghoon butted in. "He means, Eric's body is having a negative reaction towards the venom. This happens sometimes, though definitely not to the point of..." He glanced at Eric's seemingly lifeless body. Sunwoo pressed a hand to Eric's heart, feeling his heart beat, though slower than usual. He was still alive, at least. "...That." 

"Care to explain exactly what 'that' is? And why am I the only one panicking here?"

"We're not panicking because having an adverse reaction to a Turn is normal. He was just bleeding for some reason. But he should be fine. See? He's not bleeding anymore." Said the warlock. Sunwoo wasn't sure if he could hear hesitation in his voice or if it was just him, but either way, alarm bells were ringing in his head. 

He doesn't have a lot of experience with vampires and their ways, having been locked away in a palace for most of his life. All he knew about them were from books and stories his nannies told him. But he did know that while they were mysterious, they did not lie. And they were Chanhee's partner's. So they were trustworthy... right? 

Chanhee himself is an oddity. He'd know the man for such a long time that all of his doubts for him eventually withered away on its own - if he was sure of anything, it would be that he trusted the man with his life. 

With that in mind, he decided to trust them. He looked down at Eric, glancing over at his features. He brushed a lock of hair away from his face. Eric looked sort of pretty to the Prince. His skin glowed, probably an after effect of the Turn, and he looked at peace, just like the dead do. But it gave him an earthly look that accented his features perfectly. Up close he could see that his whole face was pretty, undead or not, he concluded. 

Wait, what? Sunwoo wiped that thought away from his mind. Now was not the time to think about that stuff. He took a throw pillow and gently lifted Eric's head, placing it softly onto the cushion. 

Sunwoo was about to do something rash. He glanced around the living room, hoping that nobody was looking at them right now. To his luck, the other people in the room were off doing their own thing, with the vampire duo talking to Chanhee about an herb they found on their travels.

"Eric, I hope you wake up soon." He thought to himself, closing his eyes and hoping the blond got the message. If he focused well enough, he could transmit his thoughts into the mind of others, a gift that was given solely to the members of the royal family. The only offset of the ability was that it lessened the effect of any prior magics placed upon his body. And right now, he was under a spell that granted him a more humanly appearance. 

Sunwoo looked at his arm. He could already feel the scales forming. He quickly covered the spot with his sleeve, tugging it tightly to make sure it covered the area. He was gonna talk to Chanhee about this later. But for now, even more than he was afraid of the vampires learning his true identity, he prayed the boy got his message. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	6. The Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone miss me !!!!!!!! Hi 
> 
> why did they have to change their hair colors jregjkeqrjdwlekdhfweufbiefq imagine they have their road to kingdom hair styles for like, the entirety of this fic lol. well unless stated otherwise.
> 
> as a reminder,
> 
> chanhee - pink  
> sunwoo - red  
> eric - blond

Sunwoo nervously paced around the living room, his hands situated tightly on his hips. He was thinking about Eric, whether Eric was okay, whether he needed anything, if Eric was going to wake up soon. It had been over two hours, and the boy was still asleep. He looked peaceful when he slept, his chest moving up and down calmly, but Sunwoo couldn't imagine what he could have been going through. It reminded him of Snow White, the Human princess who bit into a poisoned apple and dived head first into an eternal sleep. 

How was it she woke up again? 

Sunwoo shrugged it off. Now was not the time for silly tales. He had much else to think about. 

Changmin was standing off to the side, engaged in a heart conversation with Chanhee. The two of them were discussing plans for Sangyeon's arrival. Chanhee's elaborate plan of turning Eric into a vampire being just a small part of everything. Sunwoo was never too interested in the matters of Warlocks, so he didn't care enough to listen. But he was aware of a certain brew they were looking to create, partly in due to the large recipe book Chanhee had laid out onto the table. 

All of Chanhee's ancient Warlock textbooks were written in a language that nobody but a Warlock could understand. Their secrecy befuddled Sunwoo for the longest time, and how far they'd go to keep a secret between themselves often led to clashes between them and other species. 

Witches, for example. Though their practices were similar, their magical rivalry traced back a millennia. Perhaps even more. Since before Sunwoo was alive, for sure. He recalls the looks his old school Witch professors would give his Warlock professors whenever they met paths, the knives they'd throw at each other using their eyes. Of course, they never initiated anything in the presence of the Prince; they'd be executed immediately. But he wouldn't be surprised if they battled once he'd gone home for the day.

He remembers a specific moment that happened quite recently. He was in his Potions class, a class taught by one of the most skilled Warlocks in the village. His name was Kevin, and he was a handsome young man. Physically, he looked to be only a couple years older than Sunwoo, but he knew that the man was most likely centuries older than him. He had to be skilled to be gifted with the job of teaching _the_ son of the Mermaid King, after all. 

Old books and the welcoming scent of an ancient library surrounded him. It was a very sleepable environment, something the Prince took advantage of. He was getting oh so tired, and the elaborately carved wooden desk seemed to be calling his name. He made a mental note to thank the fairies that made it for him later, as the bark was not nearly as hard as he thought it would be. They were soft on him, something he was grateful for. 

"Sunwoo?" The red-head heard a tap. He lightly whipped his head up. "Are you listening?" Called Kevin, lightly tapping his shoulder with a meter stick. He groaned for what seemed to be the nth time that day. "I understand that Potions is not the most enjoyable class you will ever have, but it's important to your princely duties that you learn about them. I expect you to listen to me when I speak." 

Sunwoo narrowed his eyes at him. It was very unheard of for someone to speak to the Prince like that. Not even an honorific? Bold. 

"What's the point?" He mumbled to himself. But no matter how low or quiet he spoke, Kevin could still hear. Warlocks had the gift of hearing. "I can't make potions like you can." 

It was true. He was just a Mermaid. Though he spent most of his time with his legs, that didn't mean that he earned the magic that came with them. Unlike his father, who was blessed with both abilities. He could switch from human to Mermaid at will, while Sunwoo required the help of Witches. It was something he was ashamed of, but he couldn't help being untalented.

There weren't many things he could do. Though he did have some gifts of his own, they weren't anything like being able to transform fully. He was nothing like his father.

Kevin sighed and put the stick down. He sat next to the Prince, letting the stick fall to the ground. "Even if you can't make potions yourself, you still have to learn about them." 

"Give me one good reason why I should listen to you talk about throwing leaves in a cloudy cauldron for two hours with my full attention. Go on." 

Kevin looked at him quizzically. He paused for a moment before opening his mouth, having thought over his words for a solid minute. "Because your father, who is the literal King of the land, my boss, and your father, told me to...?"

Sunwoo was taken back. He was not expecting that answer, something so realistic had not come to mind. He was thinking the Warlock might say something like "because it's important that you, the future King, begin to learn the way of Warlocks and Witches" in that pompous voice he was forced to listen to day in and day out. 

It hadn't come to mind that Kevin would reply with something so... basic. 

He let out a chuckle. "I suppose that works." He leaned back in his seat, embracing the way the enchanted wooden chair adjusted to the slightest movement of weight. Those fairies were gifted in their craft. He had to write them a thank you note or something - or perhaps he'd send them flowers. He wondered if they liked daisies. 

"You pass. I'll listen to your boring tirade about potions, but please, I beg of you, get to the entertaining part already. I don't want to hear you talk about the difference between a proper frog potion and an improper frog potion ever again."

Kevin gave him a friendly pat on the back. He stood up from his seat next to Sunwoo and stretched his arms. "Fine. No more frog talk for today. But one day you'll be faced with two different frog potions and you won't know which one will be the one to turn you into a frog and which one will give you immortal life."

Sunwoo thought for a second. "...Fine. Tell me. I don't want to turn into a frog." 

Kevin laughed and took a textbook from off a nearby shelf. It magically opened by itself, the pages moving by themselves to the right page. "That's the spirit, boy! That serves as a great introduction to our next topic - frog potions. You will love this one, Prince."

"Now you're calling me Prince?" Sunwoo joked, readying his pencil. He spun it between his fingers a few times, something he did to prepare himself for a long bout of note-taking.

Kevin looked up and frowned, "I wasn't before?" 

"No, you called me by my name."

"Ah.. well. Forgive me." 

"It's okay. It's refreshing not being called Prince. I felt like a commoner for a moment."

A smile earned a place atop Kevin face. "As you wish. I will call you by your name, Sunwoo. You may address me as Kevin as well." 

Sunwoo felt warm inside, a feeling he did not feel often. Perhaps he'd learn to enjoy Potions class, no matter how boring the thought of it was. 

It was soon time for class to let out. At this point, it was close to two in the afternoon, and his next class was Waging War. This was a class taught by a Witch, one who went by the name of Jacob. 

Jacob terrified Sunwoo, to put it lightly. His eyes were a sharp brown, and he seemed to have an eternal grimace on his face. His aura gave off a sense of ferocity, he was very fit to be teaching a class on the art of War. Jacob was a professor Sunwoo never joked with, and he admits to not feeling 100% safe around him.

Not that he'd ever do anything to the Prince, guards were constantly stationed outside of his classroom. Sunwoo turned to the right and looked through the window, finding two guards - one on either side of the door. In their hands was a large spear each, and they were both wearing armor. He was protected in here. Right?

"Are you worried about Jacob?" Kevin asked Sunwoo, breaking the tense atmosphere that had formed between them. "He's harmless, trust me. I know him well." He put away the textbooks from earlier and helped Sunwoo pack up his things. "He's just very... passionate."

Sunwoo raised a brow. He doubted Kevin's words. "Passionate? Jacob Bae? The Witch Jacob Bae?" Sunwoo snorted. "The only thing he is passionate about is hanging heads on sticks." 

A sudden chill surrounded them, cloaking the two of them in a mist-like fog. Kevin rolled his eyes. "Speak of the Devil..." Sunwoo hid behind Kevin, peeking his eyes out from his shoulder. His next professor had walked in, and judging from the look on his face, he had overheard the conversation they just had.

"It is not kind to gossip, Prince." Jacob began, iciness in every word that came out of his mouth. He was dressed in all black, a black long sleeved ruffled shirt accompanied by black pants that fit him well. His hair was brown, and it matched his eyes. Usual Witch attire. 

Jacob walked over to the front of the classroom, the heels of his shoes making a clacking sound that the Prince swore could be used as a weapon.

"It is not a wise idea to gossip, for you never know who's listening." 

Kevin crossed his arms and assumed a sharp tone, "Look who's talking."

Jacob was getting his things out of his bag. His back was turned to Kevin, who was glaring at him so hard that Sunwoo thought he'd burn a hole in his back. "What was that?"

"Nothing." Bitterness laced Kevin's words. 

Sunwoo looked back and forth between the two. He knew that Witches and Warlocks did not get along, but their relationship didn't sound like one of the ones he'd read about in his history books. 

Kevin turned to Sunwoo. Instantly, all the wrinkles that had formed in the minutes since Jacob's arrival disappeared. "I must go, good luck with your next class." He bent down, moving his head close to Sunwoo's ear, "and don't be too hard on Jacob. He's a decent teacher, if not for his awful attitude. Goodbye now." Kevin gave Sunwoo a pat on the head. He snapped his fingers and disappeared into nothingness, his lithe form disappearing as fast as he arrived.

Jacob slammed a large book onto his teacher's desk, bringing Sunwoo's attention to him. Jacob coughed - on purpose, Witches did not cough, and that brought a chill down his spine. "Now that _he_ is gone, let's get class started. Do you recall what we went over last time, Prince?"

Sunwoo inwardly sighed. "Yes, sir." He reluctantly opened his other textbook to the page Jacob specified. "Good. Now recite this passage." 

Sunwoo shivered at the thought. Thinking of his professors never brought him any sort of joy, and he prayed he'd never actually need the knowledge he was learning in his Waging War class. Luckily for him, it was momentarily put on hold. He certainly did not miss Jacob, or his fierce ways. 

He looked at Eric. Had his message gotten to him? He pondered sending another one. The scales on his arm were beginning to get more visible by the minute. He was going to need another round of spells. Unfortunately, he wasn't around any Witches, and Warlocks simply did not have the same ability. After a while, his scales would start forming on his legs, and then eventually his tail would follow, and at that point he'd have to be submerged into water if nothing else was done. That had to be the worst case scenario, but he didn't think Chanhee would let it come to that. 

They had to get past Sangyeon first, that cursed guard. He was so loyal to the King. What had he even done to earn his trust? His father was sneaky, and his second hand man had to be even sneakier. Sunwoo fell back on the couch. He had so much on his mind. He had to explain his sudden disappearance, for one. His father had to be looking for him by now. Or most likely, he sent someone out to look for him. 

Wait.

Surely he didn't send Sangyeon to Chanhee's home because discovered their location. That couldn't happen. His appearance was just a coincidence, a normal thing. It was routine, wasn't it? He was just overthinking. 

But on the off chance that he did discover them, what would he do? Would he immediately question Chanhee and the Vampires, throwing them in jail for harboring a Human? Or maybe they'd be trialed on behalf of kidnapping the Prince, because he knew that they could easily turn on Chanhee. They could also execute all three of them at the drop of a pin, no matter how skilled they were. Sunwoo wasn't knowledgeable in their kingdomly torture methods, and he never wanted to be.

He feared for them. He also feared for himself. Everything could go wrong if Changmin and Younghoon were to get a hold of who he was. He swallowed and pulled his sleeve down. He had a job to do, regardless of it all. He had one job, and it was not to fear Sangyeon or the Vampires. It was to make sure the Human got home safe. And here the Human was, passed out and miles into the Dreamworld. At least he hoped he was in the Dreamworld. He didn't really know where he was right now, inside his head. 

Eric. Eric. Eric. His name repeated in his mind like the annoying bell that rung every hour near the harbor. Like a mantra that he never wanted to forget. Why was his name invading his mind so much? Was it not a princely duty to make sure someone who was lost got back home? He combed his fingers through his hair. He just wanted to stop thinking about this all. 

But no matter how much he tried, his mind drew the image of a certain short blond with an aggravatingly toothy grin smiling down on him every time. Odd. 

He looked down at the blond sleeping peacefully. "You're so lucky I was the one that found you that day." He whispered to himself. "You could be dismembered and fleshless, if in the wrong hands. Completely soulless. Not a single chance at life."

Sunwoo subconsciously ran his hands through the blonds hair, unknowingly letting the softness of his tresses calm him down. "Completely helpless, you Humans are." 

Sunwoo felt movement. He froze in his steps, letting the threads of blond fall between his fingers. He felt Eric's pulse, and there was still nothing. Narrowing his eyes at his hand, he squinted, noticing the slightest change in his hand. The gray paleness had subsided some, and the slightest bit of color had begun to return. 

The Human was waking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't really control my perpetual writers block, but I'll try my best to find ways around it. Not writing isn't fun. Anyways, a neat look into Sunwoo's mind. I don't think I wrote about Sunwoo enough, so here is an entire chapter of him. and moonbae flashback!! wooo. I hope you liked this chapter :)
> 
> comments are appreciated <3


	7. The Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for making u an ass sangyeon. He has his reasons though, which we will find out eventually. also im trying a new writing style! i hope it looks cleaner. I think im gonna rewrite the beginning chapters to match it.
> 
> also, here's some backstory for moonbae, because I'm thinking about writing a side story about them.  
> in another life, they were soulmates. but in this one, they're enemies, their souls remaining bonded. maybe one day they'll make up.

Lee Sangyeon was a man to be feared.

His reputation proceeded him. The King's right hand man. The man who did all of the King's dirty work. One might even say that he controls the kingdom behind the scenes - and that the King was a mere puppet in his grasp, though you might be executed for even thinking so. If there was anything Lee Sangyeon did not take lightly, blasphemy was it. 

And here he was, minutes away from entering the home of Choi Chanhee, an unholy place where blasphemy bloomed. 

Sangyeon was sent here by the word of an anonymous tipper, who, in their letter, stated that the infamous Warlock was holding a Human. Which, if true, was a punishment worthy of death. Humans were dirty. Weak. They were dangerous, implanted with reckless thoughts and ideas starting from the second they enter this world to the moment they leave. The arrival of a Human had to be an omen of some sorts, surely, the Gods would never willingly bring a Human to them. Who knows what could happen to their world now that a Human has arrived?

If Choi Chanhee was holding a Human, he would make sure of it that the Warlock pays. A poisioned brew, perhaps? One that would make the Warlocks tongue jump out of his mouth with bitterness? Or perhaps he would have the man dip his arm into a sea of lightning eels, their powers turning the man into a shell of who he used to be? Or maybe they could settle on a classic execution, with no one but him, the traitor, a noose, and an audience?

His blood boiled with the strength of a dozen volcanoes. He has to do all this, just because of one person who broke the rules. Did this man have no sense of decency? Not only was he selfish, secretive, but he just had to be a criminal as well.

Chanhee aside, Sangyeon wasn't sure what to do with the Human. Maybe he was going to execute them together. Or maybe he'd hand him over to the King and go about the rest of his day. He sighed out loud and the ground beneath him bubbled, leaving a trail of smoldering dirt in his wake. The cobbled pathway beneath his feet began to disappear, the tiny pebbles creating a crackling noise as they were replaced with a ground that looked as if it had seen the Devil himself - firey, dead, and charred black.

That Warlock, Chanhee, better have a good reason for ruining Sangyeon's day. And as for the Human, they better look to their Gods for a miracle because they were most definitely going to need it.

Eric was tired of reading. He had grown sick of those stupid books about Vampires and Warlocks and How To Consume An Entire Dragon Egg Whole Without Flinching. He wasn't even sure why that last one had to be made, though reading about Dragon Eggs and their random (and kind of sad) edibility were certainly the most interesting part of his past 24 hours. He was now cooped up in Changmin's room, a terrifying place to be.

Changmin's room was nothing like the rest of the house. The living room was cozy, filled with sunshine and sensible furniture and décor. Changmin's room, however, was very opposite to that. Much like a stereotypical Vampire's lair in a movie, the wallpaper of his room was all black, with blood red drapes lined with intricate black lace. It was "hand spun by spiders," according to Changmin, who looked awfully boastful when asked about it. An odd thing to be proud of.

His bed was a foot too high, and Eric's feet dangled at the edge of it. It wasn't his style at all, but it suited Changmin very well, from what Eric has seen of him. Dark and mysterious, though that describes almost everyone he's met. Except for Sunwoo, maybe. Mysterious, but not dark. He was a bit cold at times, but he gave off a kind energy that made Eric want to be beside him. It reminded him of his friends back home, people that he's known his entire life.

Except he didn't know Sunwoo for his entire life. It had only been a week or so. Weird. 

Eric fell backwards onto the bed and breathed in. He raised his arm above his chest, watching how the light from a small sliver of opened curtain reflected on his palm. For now, it was quiet, but he knew that this was most likely the calm before the storm. Sangyeon would be arriving today, and from what he's heard, that man is _not_ good news. He read up on Vampire mannerisms and culture, so he thinks he can play the part of a Vampire noble. He was given the role of Younghoon's cousin who would be staying over with them for a brief period of time. His name is now Hwiyoung.

Since being turned, Eric's noticed a few changes in himself. For one, he can smell _everything_. His new senses are overwhelming.

He feels stronger, faster. Like his body is one step ahead of his mind. He can _feel_ the blood pumping through his veins, and he even thinks he can read a mind if he tried. His own thoughts are louder than ever before. He tries to scream in his mind, and it comes through as a dull ache in his brain. Bad idea.

His fingernails grew overnight as well. They were now a couple inches taller, and extra sharp at the tips. He tries ripping through a tiny piece of paper on the ground and slices right through it, the sound of the paper shredding ringing loudly in his ears. _I wonder if nail clippers exist in this world._ He thought to himself, collecting the bits of shredded paper and placing them in his pocket.

Eric was dressed in Changmin's old clothes. He fit in them nicely, and Chanhee was right: they were about the same size. His clothing matched the room: he was dressed head to toe in black. He wore a black ruffled long sleeve blouse with matching black trousers. The blouse was rimmed with white, giving him a youthful appearance in the midst of his ruffled darkness. He'd never willingly dress like that, so this was new. 

Everything was new.

All of a sudden, he heard footsteps coming to his door. Eric instantly froze - he could feel them from quite a way away. Maybe they were across the hall? From the sounds of their feet, they sounded like they were coming straight to him. Changmin's footsteps were quieter, almost impossible to hear. Timid, almost. Younghoon's footsteps were similar. Secretive and quiet, as if he had something to hide. Chanhee's footsteps were louder, more obvious. He didn't hide, nor did he sound like he had anything to hide. He walked with pride. Sunwoo's footsteps were the same, except more... pompous? He wasn't sure.

This one was new. There's a lot more new in Eric's life than he's come to expect.

These footsteps sounded menacing. Threatening, a constant thud erupting throughout the entire hall. Along with the footsteps, he heard nothing. Prior to being lost in his thoughts, there was a constant murmur coming from the living room. It was comforting to hear. While he was locked in Changmin's room, he was at the very least okay knowing that everyone was only just a hop, skip, and a jump away from him.

But now he heard nothing. Just the unfamiliar footsteps, edging closer and closer to him. This _had_ to be Sangyeon. He gulped and prepared himself, grabbing a book and pretending to read from a section Changmin pointed out to him. He relaxed his body, allowing his new Vampire energy to seep through. He looked at the hand mirror sitting on Changmin's nightstand at glanced at it, eyes widening as he noticed the change in his eye color. His brown eyes had turned into a ruby color, and his pupils into slits. 

Changmin and Younghoon had red eyes, but not slits.

He didn't have time to think about it. The steps were coming closer, and were now outside of the door.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

He'd ask 'whos there?' but he doesn't have to, because seconds after the knocking, Changmin's door came flying down, landing on the floor with a thud, leaving debris scattered across the floor. 

"You're the human?" Sangyeon asks, breaking the tense silence, pointing his sword at Eric. "I expected to find someone more..." He looks him up and down, scoffing when he meets eyes with the now Vampire, "...human-like." He lowers his sword slightly, inserting the tip of it into its scabbard. He walks closer towards Eric, circling around him like an eagle about to devour its prey.

"I don't know what that _traitor_ did to you, but I can smell the humanity on you. You smell weak, small. Helpless. But also so dangerous, that your mere existence causes destruction. Isn't that right, human?"

Eric blinks twice. He wasn't sure if that was a rhetorical question or not. "What the fuck dude?" He replied, instantly covering his mouth with his hand. Changmin's earlier words rang in his head, " _if Sangyeon tries to talk with you, or interrogate you, just do nothing. Do not even answer_." Well. There goes that plan.

Sangyeon brings his blade to Eric's neck with a swiftness. "Speak to me in that way one more time, _pathetic scum underneath my boot,_ and I will remove any chance of mercy that you have. You will find yourselves sliced into bits before you can even register that this is a threat." Eric gulps, alarm bells ringing in his head. He had to get out, and away from Sangyeon. He needed to run.

He glanced over at the window. Sangyeon turned around, his eyes following the path of Eric's, narrowing once he notices Eric's intention. "You're not leaving, scum."

Sangyeon pinned Eric to the wall, using one hand to grab a bottle out of his pocket. He poured some of the remnants of the bottle on the ground, and a branch materialized from the wooden floors. It wrapped itself around him, not allowing him to escape. He was a couple feet in the air, the branch gripping onto him tightly. "And neither is anyone else. Traitors Choi Chanhee, Kim Younghoon, and Ji Changmin are all in Mermaid Guard custody. Set to be trialed for the crime of harboring a Human." Sangyeon's glare sharpened, the hatred in his eyes cutting through him like knives "And you? The King would like to speak with you." 

Eric didn't know what to say. Chanhee was arrested? And Younghoon and Changmin? He was in shock. Chanhee was so powerful, his aura outmatched anyone's he's ever seen. From his grand showcases of Magic to the blind trust the Vampire duo held in him. Besides, he worked under the King. How could everything go so wrong so fast?

Eric turned pale. "And Sunwoo?! Where's Sunwoo?! He's innocent. I made him help me." He yelled out loud, struggling to get out of the branches tight grip. He tried ripping through it using his nails, but alas, the branches were too tough. If Sunwoo got hurt because of him, he wouldn't know what he'd do with himself. 

In a heartbeat, Sangyeon's gaze went from violent to murderous. He poured the rest of the potion's contents onto ground and the branches slowly wrapped around his neck, squeezing his throat with every second that passed by. Eric couldn't breathe. He grabbed at the branches, but they just wouldn't come off. They were tied around him like a rope, and he was beginning to lose consciousness. Again. This was becoming a reoccurring theme ever since entering this realm. 

Sangyeon's eyes were a fiery red. Even more so than his. If Eric's eyes were a deep amber, Sangyeon's were the color of Hellfire. Hatred flowed through his body. "How dare you address the Prince like that!?" He bellowed, a strike of thunder cracking in the sky. "No one, not even the Prince's closest advisors are to call him by name. See Human? This is the harm you've caused. You have been here for only a week and the entire Kingdom has been turned upside down." 

Eric's mind was empty. Prince? Who? 

He couldn't think. His eyesight was fluttering between seeing and visionary illusions. He was losing feeling in his lower body, the branches having done their job at squeezing the life out of him. "If you act this way towards the King, you can wish any chance of life goodbye."

The King? He doesn't care about the King. Eric just wants to go home.

"..P-prince..?" He mumbles out loud, using the last of his energy. 

Sangyeon tightened the hold of the branches. "That's Prince Kim Sunwoo to you, 1st in line for the throne. His eternal highness." 

And with that, Eric's eyes fluttered close, his body going limp in the arms of the enchanted tree branches. Sangyeon poured another potion onto the ground and they disappeared, materializing into nothingness, making Eric fall to the ground. He landed with a bang, the sound of his limp body reverberating throughout the floorboards.

Sangyeon glared at his body from above. He could get rid of him right now, and no one would know. 

He could easily just throw him outside the window. His soul was barely there, and it would certainly do the trick. 

"Don't even think about it, Sangyeon." Said another voice. Sangyeon rolled his eyes. "I know, Juyeon. King's orders."

The red head stood in the doorway. "You did quite a number on him. Why?"

Sangyeon didn't take his eyes off of Eric. "He was annoying me. Is that not reason enough to end his life?"

"Yes, Sangyeon. That is not reason enough to end his life."

Sangyeon groaned. "Your opinion is worth nothing to me. My job here is done." He gave one last look at Eric before turning around, passing by Juyeon. He stopped for a second. Juyeon noticed his presence and glanced over to him, but by the time he turned around, Sangyeon disappeared. "I take it he regrets going this far." He spoke to no one in particular, bending down to look at the Human. He grabbed his chin and turned his head around, analyzing the damage Sangyeon had done.

He had marks around his neck, most likely from the branch spell Sangyeon casted. Juyeon dug his hands in his pocket and pulled out a light blue pocket watch. He whispered into it, and mystical blue mist surrounded him in a daze. Eric's body began to levitate, the mist holding him right side up. The scars on his neck began to heal, as if they were never there. Then came his hands, and lastly, his legs. The branch burn marks healed as well, leaving him exactly as he was before Sangyeon's arrival.

"Good as new." Juyeon mumbled, standing up and dusting the remaining mist off of himself. 

Juyeon picked the Human up and placed him on the bed. It was banged up now, and filled with debris from Sangyeon's rage fit. He placed a pillow underneath his head and sat by him, watching as his heartbeat became regular. "Now, what to do." He started, eyeing the Human. "Chanhee gave me orders, but so did the King."

The guard look genuinely conflicted. "I don't know who to follow, young Human." He said, quietly.

A lightbulb went off inside his head. "A coin! I will flip a coin." He tilted his head in thought. "Chanhee for Warlocks, and Sangyeon for Wizards." He materialized the coin into thin air with little effort. He threw it into the air, the coin spinning many more times than a coin usually should before falling flat onto his hand. Juyeon smiled at the coin.

"So that's who I should follow today, huh?" He looked up at the sky. He trusted the Gods and their choices. 

He stood and picked Eric up, carefully hoisting him over his shoulder.

"We have someone we need to visit, Human." He said, slicing into thin air with his hand. He grabbed at the slice he made and spread it apart, creating a decently sized portal. He took one step inside and turned around, snapping his fingers. In a second the room was back to normal, the debris gone and the sheets clean once more. 

"Hopefully he won't be too mad. Even if things didn't go as planned."

Juyeon stepped inside the portal, and the portal disappeared, the last signs of life exiting the Warlock's home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this chapter please leave a comment!!! :)
> 
> also! a note. sangyeon does not have any powers, and carries potions everywhere he goes. on the day he met eric, he just so happened to be carrying quite a few of them.


	8. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

Juyeon was beginning to second guess the Gods and their given wisdom. The Human boy he just rescued was fast asleep in his arms, and while that itself wasn't the problem, he snored as if he was a gigantic bear going into hibernation for the winter. The sound was so loud, in fact, that a group of children passing by stopped to point and laugh. Juyeon felt his face reddening as he tightened his hold on the boy and moved on, ignoring their jeers and taunts.

He flipped the coin and the coin landed on its respective side. This was how he made big decisions, leaving any possible consequences up to Fate. And the decision to betray the Mermaid Guard and protect the Human was perhaps the biggest decision he's ever made. No one knows what the result of his decision is gonna be - except for the Gods, that is, and leaving it up to chance is about as good as getting the Gods opinion will ever be for a mere Warlock guard like Juyeon.

Betraying the King (and Sangyeon) are things he's thought of in the past. He doesn't like the King's authoritative and borderline dictator-like method of ruling, and he never has. He's been loud about it in his own little secret circles, places where various people with differing opinions against the government meet to discuss opinions that they would never dare try to bring to life. It's in one of these meetings that he met Choi Chanhee, the infamous Warlock known as one of the most powerful in the land.

He was certainly shocked to see him there, sipping away at a cup of brew at a quarter to dusk. It was a quiet, hidden tavern, spellfully locked away in a place few would have ever bothered to look. Chanhee nearly dropped his brew once their eyes met, Juyeon remembers it all. He quickly got over the initial shock at the King having a traitor so privy to the kingdom's most important secrets, and before he could have it in him to judge the Warlock, he too was a traitor in plain site.

And that now brings him to his current dilemma: he is saving the life of someone the King so badly wants dead. 

But he's just a boy. No matter how much Juyeon tries to understand, he simply cannot acknowledge the King's decision. He looks harmless. He has no magic powers, that he knows of, he can't fight, and he knows nothing about their world. He looks like he can barely understand the concept of Magic in itself. Surely, he isn't as bad as everyone claims he is. 

He's heard the stories, everyone has. Humans are monsters. But this child doesn't look like a monster. He wondered what it was about him that made the King so... out of character.

Like clockwork, the boy began to stir. Juyeon quickly set him on the ground, carefully placing him in a soft grassy area. He made sure to lay his head above a nearby batch of pixie flowers, which were cushiony enough to provide Eric with enough comfort. 

The Human whipped his head up up with a terrified scream, leading Juyeon to cover his mouth immediately. "Are you crazy?! Why are you yelling?!" He whisper yelled, looking around for any people who could have heard him. "I almost died! I think I deserve a yell or two!" replied Eric, scooting backwards away from Juyeon. 

Eric looked around. He was in a forest, sitting up against a tree. The tree was yellow, and the leaves were red. He rubbed his eyes. The tree was still yellow. He gave up. There was no use questioning things in this world. 

He raised his hand to his head. There was a dull pain near his temple, similar to the feeling he had after the concussion he got at his middle school baseball championship. He rubbed the spot, jumping in surprise when he noticed the red blood on his hand. "I'm bleeding?!" He looked up at Juyeon. "Who the hell are you, and why am I bleeding? And where is everyone? And why am I in a forest, and-" The pain hit him again. He fell forward, and Juyeon rushed to his aid. He bent down, uttering a short chant into Eric's wound. Red sparkles manifested out of nowhere, and Juyeon directed them to the spot Eric was bleeding out from.

Eric watched on in shock as the pain began to subside. He slowly raised his hand to his forehead, patting around the area. There was no more blood on his hands, just sparkly residue of what he assumes is the spell the random man enacted. 

"Thank you..?" Eric said, softly, but still wary. The residue disappeared on its own, leaving nothing in its place. His magic was warm. 

Juyeon stood up. "Kid, if you're all better now, then follow me. We have someplace to be, and," he checked the time on his watch, "we're terribly late." Juyeon began to walk, leaving the boy behind. "Wait! Wait!" Eric scrambled up from the ground. He stumbled over a tree branch but managed to catch himself. He caught up to the man and pulled on his shirt, stopping the man in his tracks. "You never answered my questions. Who are you, where am I, and where are my friends?"

Juyeon rolled his eyes. "My name is Juyeon, you're in a forest, and your friends are in jail. Anything else?" It took Juyeon all he had not to laugh at the way the Human's facial expression dropped. He was gullible. Was that a Human thing?

"They're okay." Juyeon started, separating Eric's hands away from his shirt. He ignored the way the Human looked like a puppy that had been kicked. "For now. But if you want to save them, you'll have to come with me." 

Eric stood frozen. "My friends... are in jail..?" He mumbled, so quietly that only someone with heightened senses of hearing could make out his soft words. His hands were shaking. Juyeon sighed inwardly. He decided he couldn't stand the site of the Human looking so unnerved. He flipped a coin in his mind, imagining the way it would spin in midair. In his head, the coin landed on the Warlock side once more. "Do you remember your last moments before you passed out?" He asked the Human, looking straight into his eyes. He motioned the boy to continue walking, with Juyeon standing at the front, leading the way.

Eric tried to remember. It was hazy, and his memory was jumbled. For some reason, the last 24 hours were lost in his mind. "No, actually. I don't."

"But you told me that you almost died earlier. How?" Juyeon stepped on a crunchy leaf. For some reason, Eric was extra fidgety, because this sound made him flinch a little bit. Juyeon didn't notice.

"I don't know. I just guessed."

Juyeon paused. "Well, let me give you a reminder. Lord Ji, Lord Kim, and the Warlock Choi Chanhee hatched a plan to ensure your safety would be protected in the presence of Lee Sangyeon, one of the most dangerous men in the land. The plan, while genius, If I might say, did not work out, presumably because there was a mole."

Eric screeched and jumped onto Juyeon's back. "A mole?! Where?!"

"..."

He slowly turned his head towards the Human. "I meant a mole as in, someone learned of their plan." He said, his voice monotonous and tired.

Eric slowly climbed off of the boy. "Oh. Go on."

They continued to walk throughout the forest. The plants and trees all had odd colors, almost as if they were inverted.

"As I was saying," Juyeon started, bringing Eric out of his thoughts, "someone anonymously notified the Guard of the Warlock and the Human he was protecting." Juyeon stopped in his tracks and turned around. "That Human being you."

Eric frowned and pointed at himself. "Me? But Chanhee said it was just a routine thing."

Juyeon stood in front of Eric, his shoulders broad and proud. He stood tall in the midst of all the flora and fauna between them. "Correct. He came under the guise of an inspection. But in reality, he came to get you. Or, get rid of you." Juyeon caught the way Eric's face paled for a second, "but I did not let him."

Eric scratched the back of his head. "I think... I get it. But there's one thing I'm not certain on. Why did you save me?"

The golden question. Juyeon wasn't so sure either. "You wouldn't understand." He softly muttered underneath his breath. He suddenly turned, now facing Eric. He fixed his crooked color and dusted some leftover debris from his shirt. 

"We're almost here."

Eric picked up his pace to match Juyeon's. "Where is 'here'?" He asked, surveying the area. The environment changed. They were no longer in a foresty area, now in a grassy plain surrounded by nothing but the prettiest field of flowers Eric had ever seen. He felt bad stepping on them, but there was no paved road that he could see.

They were a ruby shade of red that made Eric's heart swell. The color felt familiar to him, somewhat, as if he had seen it before. He secretly grabbed a handful and shoved them in his pocket.

"All you need to know is that this person is a friend." The guard continued.

"I think." He finished, a little bit quieter and uncertain sounding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone even still reading? My fault for taking 2 month long breaks 😞🤘🏼hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless! Back to longer chapters after this!


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